Ignorance
by Blue-Winter-Angel
Summary: Another year, another hurdle. Can Jamie pick herself back up after a drastic change knocks her off her feet? Soon to be edited and rewritten.
1. Safe And Sound

**BWA: -Digs through stories to find SH series- Oh! I got it, guys!  
Emmett: Woo hoo!  
Will: Success!  
Warren: And it only took a total of three hours.  
BWA: -Rolls eyes- Anyway, in a nutshell, we're back! Did you miss us?  
Emmett: Of course you did!  
Jamie: What torture are you going to put me through this time?  
BWA: -Chuckles darkly- That's for me to know and you to find out and complain about.  
Jamie: Joy.  
BWA: -Smiles- I'm sorry that this has taken so long! Fingers crossed it was worth the wait!  
Emmett: I think we should shut up and let them read.  
BWA: Sounds like a plan.  
Will: Na na na na na na na na BATMAN!  
Jamie: -Facepalm- So it begins...**

**Disclaimer: Sky High belongs to Walt Disney Pictures, this crazy plot line and a certain Stronghold twin belong to me. **

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**_Chapter One  
Safe and Sound_**

Loss is something everyone experiences; it could be an object, memory or even a person that gets taken away from you. It leaves a hole that's impossible to fill, a crippling agony from what you left behind.

What I wasn't expecting was to lose half of myself…

But in that loss, I learned to live.

xXx

Laughter and shouts of encouragement filled the air as we rolled around on the grass. Bets had been made and taunts had been thrown about before we dived toward each other, a tangle of arms and legs as we wrestled.

I cried out joyfully, flipping my brother onto his stomach and twisting his arm behind his back. He laughed through a cry of minor pain before he shoved me off him and pinned me to the ground. My counterparts whined and taunted my brother inside my head; the rule in place for this bet was no powers.

"Ready to give up, sis?" Will teased, grinning from ear to ear.

I rolled my eyes, letting my body go limp. He smirked and moved to get off me but I shot up and tackled him to the ground, wrapping my arms tight around him until he cried out in defeat.

"Okay, okay, I give!"

Giggling, I released him from my grip, falling backwards onto the grass. Our audience cheered, laughing as we did. Will turned and held his arm out; I smiled and took his hand, laughing harder when he quickly tugged me off the ground.

"You owe me five bucks, man," Zach grinned, bumping Ethan's shoulder.

"Beaten by a girl," Will complained, wrapping his arm around my neck and bending me forward, rubbing his fist against the top of my head as we stumbled forward. "It's worse because it's my sister."

I wriggled out of my brothers restricting arms, punching him in the side. "You had no chance," I replied, grinning.

"Talk it up," he laughed. "I'll beat you next time."

"That's what you said the last time," Warren teased when we reached him. I smiled and took his hand, letting the soothing warmth of his skin race through my body.

"Oh, shut up, Mr. Whippy." He shot back, wrapping his arm around Layla's waist.

"Look who's talking," I laughed.

Will rolled his eyes before leading Layla back inside; Ethan, Magenta and Zach followed them, chatting animatedly.

"So, when are you going to let me beat you?" I asked, looking up at Warren's face.

He laughed and wrapped his free arm around my waist, tugging me flush against his chest. "Maybe later," he replied softly, burying his face in my hair. I felt his fingers gently brush a line over the small of my back and I sighed, knowing he was tracing the shape of the scar that had completely disappeared a few weeks ago.

Things had gone back to normal once we knew for certain that Baron Battle and Claire were in solitary confinement far away from here. Michelle had come over once every few days to see how I was doing; the more severe injuries I had been given from the fight had taken a while to heal. Warren used to look away when I checked my scars in the mirror; the pink puckered line on my stomach and back taunted him until they disappeared.

If it wasn't for D and L I would have had permanent scarring from that fight; they would spend at least half an hour each day tending to the wounds on my skin. It took quite a while, but soon enough my skin was free of the scars that marred it. Personally, I enjoyed the fact that Warren was more than willing to touch the skin of my back and stomach again; I had missed the feel of his warm hands there.

Another thing I enjoyed was complete control of my body. When Claire's powers shorted out I was freed of the torture she had put me through; I no longer had the horrible nightmares she induced and I didn't lose control of my actions anymore. It was good to feel normal again.

I let go of Warren's hand so that I could squeeze my arms tight around his torso. Feeling his hand run through my thick, wavy hair, I relaxed.

"What's on your mind, baby?"

I sighed and leaned away from his chest so that I could meet his eyes, the beautiful chocolate eyes that I adored held nothing but happiness, affection and love. "Just… thinking."

He frowned and cupped my cheek, leaning down to press his forehead against mine. "It's all behind us, Jamie."

Smiling, I tilted my head back and kissed him firmly; I felt his lips quirk upward against mine before he sucked my bottom lip into his mouth, his grip on me tightening. I groaned against his lips and threaded my fingers into his hair, feeling the silky strands slip between my fingers. Warren's hand slid over my hip to the top of my thigh, about to hitch my leg around his waist…

"Quit sucking face and get in here, you two!"

Warren groaned in complaint, gently breaking away from my lips. Smiling apologetically, he kissed the tip of my nose and took my hand, leading me inside.

'**God freaking damn it,' **D grumbled inside my head.

_I know how you feel, dude. _I replied.

'**I'm going to beat up your brother,' **she continued unhappily.

'_Oh, give it a rest, D.' _L interrupted, laughing. _'You're not scaring anyone.'_

'**Watch it, Sparky.'**

'_Oh, dear! I'm terrified!' _She taunted.

"The girls giving you trouble?" Warren asked, pulling me away from D and L's playful argument.

"As always," I replied, shaking my head with a smile.

'**Excuse me? We're not giving you trouble, your brother is giving you and your boyfriend trouble!'**

'_For the love of all that is holy, shut up, D. It's not like they won't be all over each other as soon as they're alone again.'_

'… **Fine.'**

Warren saw the expression on my face and laughed. "I don't even want to know."

"Wise choice," I groaned as we sat down on the couch in the living room, watching as Will put his favourite Xbox game on. "_Call of Duty_? Again?"

"Hell yes!" He cried, bumping his fist against Zach's. "Want to play?"

"I think I'll pass this time," I replied, leaning against Warren's side.

"Scared I'll beat you?"

"Actually, since I whipped your ass last time we played it, I thought I'd be nice and spare you the embarrassment twice in a row." I teased, smirking.

"It's all luck," he shot back.

"Most people call it skill."

Magenta grabbed a control before whacking Will in the back of the head with it; thanks to his super strength, he didn't even flinch. "Just shut up and play, I'll be doing the ass-kicking this time."

"Someone's confident," Ethan grinned, his eyes on the screen.

"She plays better than you do," Zach laughed.

"I think we should just accept the fact that Magenta and I are the best at this game," I announced.

"Keep dreaming," Ethan replied, already mashing buttons.

"Watch it, Popsicle, or I'll verse the winner."

Warren chuckled and kissed my temple. "Take it easy on them," he soothed. "No need to wound their egos right now."

I leaned my head on his shoulder and looked up at him. "You're just saying that because I beat you, as well."

Layla laughed quietly, sitting beside Will on the other couch. "I've never met a more competitive family."

"It's worse when dad and Will verse each other," I replied, getting up off the couch. "I'm gonna get something to eat, want to come?" I asked, looking down at Warren.

He smiled and stood with me, throwing a nearby pillow at the back of Will's head.

"Make me a nice sandwich while you're there, okay?" My brother called as we left the room, laughing when someone whacked him in the back of the head again.

My guess was Magenta.

"So, what's on the menu?" Warren asked when we walked into the kitchen. Mum and dad were out on a distress call, so it was just us kids, free to wreak havoc through the house.

I turned and wrapped my arms around his neck, running my nose along his jaw as he settled against the island. "Nothing, I just wanted some more alone time with you."

'**Woo!'**

'_You're ridiculous.'_

Warren wound his arms tight around me, turning his head so that his nose bumped against mine. "Is that so?"

"Uh huh," I replied in an exhale, wrapping a hand around the back of his neck and tugging his lips to mine.

The feel of his lips against mine, pressing with such urgency, set my body on fire and I threw myself into the kiss. He ran his tongue along my bottom lip and I parted them, letting his tongue slide into my mouth; he groaned and stepped forward quickly, slamming my body into the fridge and pressing his body along the length of mine.

He pulled away when I began to tremble from the lack of oxygen, moving to kiss his way down my neck, nipping and sucking at the sensitive spots he knew all too well. Reaching the soft skin behind my ear, he grazed his teeth along the skin before pressing his lips against it and sucking.

I bit down on my bottom lip to muffle my steady moan, my eyes clenching shut. I plunged one hand into his hair as the other pressed against his back; moving back to my lips, he kissed me heatedly, his left hand moving from my hip, trailing down my leg once again. Grabbing the back of my knee, he tugged my leg up, hitching it around his waist; we both groaned into each others mouths at the feel of our hips pressed firmly together.

'**Score!' **D cried happily. **'Leg hitch!'**

Warren ran his tongue along my teeth, feeling my hips shift against his, just as the phone began to ring.

'**Oh, come on!'**

'_Ha ha,' _L taunted, giggling when D snarled at her.

I pulled away from Warren's burning lips with a frustrated whimper, leaning my head back against the fridge. "I don't want to answer."

"You should," he replied shakily, burying his face in my neck. "It could be your parents."

I sighed and reached for the phone on the counter beside us, pressing the 'send' button and holding the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"_Jamie? It's Michelle."_

"Oh, hey," I replied, smiling down at Warren who pulled away from my neck to raise an eyebrow at me. "What's up?"

"_You sound out of breath, sweetie. Is everything okay?"_

"Yeah, everything's fine. I just had to run to get the phone."

"_That doesn't usually tire you out, though." _She paused for a moment and when she spoke again I could hear the smugness in her tone. _"You sure you weren't just making out with my son?"_

Unable to help it, I started laughing. Michelle's giggles floated through the receiver as I attempted to calm down.

"I'm not even going to answer that."

"_Which means you were," _she laughed. _"Sorry to interrupt."_

"No worries," I replied, pressing my free hand against my flushed cheeks. "What did you need?"

"_I was just calling to see if you guys wanted to come over for a barbeque tonight. It feels like ages since I've seen you all."_

"You were here yesterday," I teased. "Admit, you're missing me."

"_You caught me,' _she laughed, the sound happy and relaxed. _"I'm sure your parents are out on a distress call at the moment, so run it by them when they get home, okay?"_

"You know they'll say yes."

"_Of course. Is six a good time?"_

"Sounds perfect."

"_Great. I guess I'll see you then." _She paused and I tried not to laugh again as Warren's breathing calmed against my skin. _"Don't get too rough with the man who I'm sure is currently pressing you against something, am I right?"_

"Oh dear," I gasped. "You are way too invested in this, Michelle."

"_You know I'm only teasing, Jamie." _She giggled. _"Anyway, I must get back to my paintings, I'll see you later!"_

"Bye," I laughed, hanging up the phone. "Your mother is shocking."

"What did she say?" He asked, pressing his lips against the skin of my shoulder.

"We got caught making out by someone who isn't even here." I laughed, hugging myself to him, keeping my leg wrapped tightly around his hips. "Wouldn't be the first time, though."

Smiling, he stood up straighter and pressed lips against my forehead; I closed my eyes and relaxed, breathing in the familiar scent of him. Campfires and something else that was impossible to describe; it was just _him._

Tilting his head down, he pressed the bridge of his nose against the spot his lips had just touched. "I love you," he sighed, holding me close.

"I love you," I replied quietly, stroking the skin of his neck with my fingertips.

As it usually did, Will's voice broke through our peaceful silence. "You guys have been in there for a while… are you making me a big sandwich?"

I giggled, rolling my eyes at Warren as he turned his head toward the living room. "Make it yourself, moron." He called before turning back to kiss me again.

We ended up going over to the Peace's house that night, as Michelle had guessed. It was fun, as always; Warren made a show of cooking his food without putting it on the barbeque, listening to dad's complaints about being 'untraditional.'

I leaned against Warren's chest as we all chatted on the grass in the backyard, resting my head back on his shoulder when he pulled me closer. He kissed my hair as I relaxed in his arms, more than content.

'**Life is good,' **D sighed happily.

'_You can say that again.' _L replied, her soft voice full of relaxation.

'**Life is good.'**

I smiled, turning my face into Warren's neck.

Little did I know that life was planning to rear its ugly head once again.

* * *

**Emmett: Dun dun duuun.  
Jamie: -Giggles- When referring to my brother you need to say "Dumb dumb duuumb."  
BWA: -Snorts- Be nice.  
Will: -Flips Jamie the bird-  
Jamie: Oh, it's on. -Chases Will around the room-  
BWA: Take it outside, kiddies!  
Jamie and Will: -Run outside while Will screams in terror-  
Warren: Oh dear.  
Emmett: It doesn't take much to set them off, does it?  
BWA: Guess not. Anyway, I hope you like it so far, things will start to heat up pretty soon.  
Warren: Do you think they hate us for taking so long to post this?  
BWA: Um... if they do, I shot gun hiding under the desk.  
Emmett: -Laughs-  
Will: -Runs past the window- Reviews are love!  
Jamie: -Chases- And we love you!  
Warren: So leave us some love?  
BWA: And don't forget to check the blog on Teaser Tuesday! The link is on my profile.  
Emmett: I have a riddle for you!  
Warren: Oh?  
Emmett: How many oms could an om nom nom if an om nom could om noms?  
BWA: -Facepalm- **


	2. We Made A Promise

**Will: Sometimes when I'm sad, I like to cut myself... some chocolate cake.  
Jamie: -Facepalm- Why did I end up being related to the moron?  
Will: You love me.  
Jamie: -Glares- Lucky.  
BWA: -Smiles- Well, we're back!  
Emmett: Woo hoo!  
BWA: We're almost all moved into our new house, still a few boxes left to unpack. But, if you want to see some funny photos, head on over to the blog and check out the ridiculous way Ed and I decided to document the move.  
Will: I have something very important to say!  
Warren: -Looks at Emmett- Bet you ten bucks it's not important at all.  
Emmett: Damn it. -Gives Warren ten dollars-  
BWA: He hasn't even spoken yet.  
Emmett: I know, but whatever he says will be pretty strange.  
Will: -Clears throat- Terrorists have two eyes. Pandas have two eyes. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!  
Everyone: -Stares-  
Emmett: -Glares- I'm never making a bet with you ever again.  
Warren: -Laughs-  
Jamie: -Shakes head-  
BWA: Uh... might as well go read, huh?**

**Disclaimer: I know what's mine. Suck it, Disney! **

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**_Chapter Two  
We Made A Promise _**

'**Where do you think he went?'**

_I'm not sure. He said he'd come by later, but he didn't give me a time._

'_Worried?'_

_Of course not. _

'**I think he's planning something.'**

'_He did sound incredibly excited over the phone.'_

D snorted and L sighed in response.

'_Mind out of the gutter, pervert.'_

'**Still… excited Warren…'**

_Give it a rest, D._

Warren had called not too long after I had woken up this morning, letting me know that he'd come by later in the day. It was impossible to miss the excitement in his voice, the eagerness to get something done. I didn't ask, knowing he would tell me later; and if he wanted to keep it a surprise, I wasn't going to ruin it for him.

I had used my free time to do absolutely nothing at all; instead, I stayed curled up on my bed with my nose buried in a book. Every now and then I would look at the photos and paintings up on my wall; the huge painting of the meadow above my headboard, the framed photo Will had given me on our birthday last year and the cork boards full of photos from the Paramore concert Warren had taken me to as well as photos from all the random things we got up to.

'**Good times,' **D sighed. **'We need to go to another concert sometime soon. I miss the energy.'**

'_So do I,' _L answered. _'Is anyone else tired or is it just me?'_

_I'm fine. _I told her. _Not sleepy at all._

'**Actually, now that you mention it, I'm feeling a little weary.'**

_You two okay?_

'_I'm sure we're fine,' _L replied, quick to soothe my worries.

_Well… let me know if you don't feel right, okay?_

'**No worries,' **D answered. I could hear the undercurrent of confusion in her voice. **'The weird thing is… the exhaustion's come out of nowhere.'**

'_No kidding,' _L agreed. _'I felt fine an hour ago.'_

My eyebrows furrowed as I sat up on my mattress, running a hand through my hair.

'**Calm down, Jamie. We're fine.'**

"Okay," I breathed, choosing to speak aloud. "Still, let me know."

Three quick knocks sounded from downstairs before mum's voice reached my ears.

"Jamie, Warren's here!"

I smiled and got off my bed, jogging out of my room and down the stairs straight into Warren's arms. He had been waiting at the foot of the stairs and caught me when I leaped at him.

"I have something to show you," he said as soon as he set me down.

I raised an eyebrow at him, taking his offered hand and letting him lead me outside. He put his free hand over my eyes before we left the house, guiding me down the path to the curb. He kissed my hair before pulling his hand away, letting my eyes focus on the object in front of me.

Warren had been going on and on about wanting to get a motorbike for months now; and being the testosterone fuelled seventeen year old he was he started working extra shifts to save for one.

Propped up in front of me was Warren's brand new, shiny black Ducati. There were red flames on both sides, giving it a personal touch. I turned back to him with wide eyes. "You got it!" I cried happily, grinning.

"Yeah, I picked it up this morning," he replied, taking my hands. "Want to go for a ride?"

"Really?" I asked, bouncing slightly on my feet.

He laughed and stepped past me to grab a silver helmet off the seat, turning me around and putting it on my head. I groaned as it flattened my hair against my face and tried my best to pull it away from my eyes. It made me a little nervous when I didn't hear D and L make any comments on the motorbike; normally D was all over this kind of thing.

Warren put a black helmet on his head and got on the bike, looking back at me. "Hop on."

I smiled and swung my leg over the seat, settling down behind Warren, wrapping my arms around his torso and resting my head on his shoulder. "Let's go," I said into his ear.

He kicked the bike to life and I squealed, feeling it rumble under my body, sending vibrations running over my skin. I wrapped my arms tighter around his torso before he kicked away from the curb and raced down the street, the bike snarling in delight beneath us.

We leaned together when we had to turn and I cried out in absolute freedom, feeling my hair whip against my back with the speed we were travelling; I could feel Warren's muscles shifting under his skin as he steered and I had to work hard to distract myself from the feel of it under my hands.

_You okay, girls?_

'**Yeah… we're good.'**

_You don't sound good, _I answered as we slowed, nearing the house. _I didn't hear a peep from you two earlier._

'**Sorry, kid. I just didn't have the energy, I'm so tired.'**

_L, are you good?_

'_I… I think so.'_

_Okay, well… just take it easy._

Warren came to a stop out the front of the house and I was quick to get off the bike, removing the helmet and setting it down on the seat, my nose scrunched up in concern.

"Hey," Warren said quickly, getting off the bike and freeing his head from the helmet before taking my face in his hands. "What's wrong? I lost you halfway through the ride."

"I'm sorry," I replied quietly. "The girls aren't feeling all that well… so I'm a little concerned."

"What do you mean?" He asked. "Can they even get sick?"

I shook my head. "It's not that kind of unwell… they're tired, extremely so. They're hardly talking, which is unusual." I looked up at him, my eyes wide with a rush of sudden panic. "What if –"

"No," he interrupted, pressing a finger against my lips. "Don't even think it, Jamie Stronghold. This is _not _like what happened last year. Please don't convince yourself otherwise."

"But I'm worried," I replied in a soft voice. "What if something's wrong?"

"Then we take it one step at a time," he answered, bending at the knees to bring his eyes level with mine. "Okay?"

"Okay," I whispered, wrapping my arms around him.

* * *

"Ready to go?"

I looked up at my brother for I had been staring into my glass of orange juice. I wasn't hungry and I wasn't thirsty; I felt a little off today. "I think I'll make my own way there."

He raised an eyebrow at me; I almost always caught the bus. "Is everything okay?"

I nodded, hoping I looked convincing. "Yeah, I just want to give the girls some time to stretch."

Pursing his lips, he walked over to me and kissed my forehead. "Take it easy, though. You don't look so good."

"Go," I said softly. "You'll miss the bus if you don't hurry."

He stroked my hair a few times before he left to get the bus. Once he was gone I sighed and dropped my head into my hands; mum and dad had another early morning, off to look at an open house with a new client.

_Think you're okay to fly? _I asked, unsure.

'_Yeah. I can manage.'_

I gave a long exhale of relief; that was the first time either of them had spoken all morning. Swinging my bag over my torso, I left the house, pressing my palms against my eyes.

_Ready?_

'_As I'll ever be.'_

I dropped my hands and closed my eyes, feeling L's energy racing through my body. My wings emerged from my back and I stretched them wide, tipping my head back and opening my now golden eyes to the sky.

Pushing off the ground and shooting into the open air, I frowned. I could feel the failing strength in my wings; we moved slower and it took more effort. My eyelids drooped as I shared her overwhelming exhaustion. Nonetheless, we continued on, making our way to school.

Slicing through the few fluffy clouds that were higher up in the sky, I stretched, feeling the breeze on my wings.

"I see what you mean now," I said quietly, leaning from side to side, creating a distracting movement as we flew the last few legs to school. "The exhaustion… it's horrible. I'm struggling to think around it."

'_It's been like that since yesterday. We slept as you did but we don't feel rested.'_

"D, how about you?" I asked aloud, needing the other distraction so that I didn't give in to the weariness that washed over me in heavy waves.

'**I'm tired…' **She sighed. **'But I don't want to sleep.'**

I sighed as we closed in on the school, making a smooth, easy landing on the soft grass outside. L quickly gave in to exhaustion, retreating back into my mind, the wings, pale skin, golden eyes and white hair disappeared as she did and I took a few moments, feeling the strength return to my body.

Warren was waiting at the bottom of the stairs and quickly wrapped me in his arms when I reached him. "Are you okay?" He asked, burying his face in my hair. "Will said you weren't looking too good."

I flinched, pressing the bridge of my nose against his warm neck. "The girls are getting worse; I almost fell asleep on my way here."

Leaning back, he took a good look at my face. "You don't look tired."

"I'm not, I just feel a little off. But the girls are feeling horrible; I can't properly articulate just how exhausted they are."

He frowned, taking my face in his hands. "Do you want to go home?"

"What?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "I just got here. I'll be fine."

He sighed, not at all convinced, but leaned in and kissed me softly. "Come on, we're going to be late for class."

I had Tactics 101 and Mad Science during the first half of the day; junior year wasn't very different to sophomore year. The work load was a little heavier but that was about it; same teachers, a few different classes, but the overall achievements were still there.

P.E was our last lesson and by then, I felt like I was going to throw up. I hadn't eaten anything before I left and had no kind of appetite during lunch. I felt weak and vulnerable and I didn't like it at all.

Boomer had put us in pairs for a reason that I couldn't remember. Warren and I had been partnered up and I ran a hand through my hair as I tried to get D to talk.

_Come on, dude. You have to do something._

'**I won't be much help, Jamie.' **She replied. **'L's already gone and I'm getting pretty close…'**

_What do you mean, gone?_

She was silent for a moment, almost as though she didn't want to answer. Instead, I felt her energy overwhelm me, as well as her exhaustion. As my appearance changed, I fell to my knees, unable to stay standing.

"Jamie!" Warren cried, dropping to his knees beside me. My head fell forward and I shuddered, feeling D melt away, not strong enough to hold on any longer. "Are you okay?"

My strength returned once I was back to my normal appearance and I looked up at Warren with worried eyes. "I don't think I should participate today."

"Okay, well, come on… we'll go outside for the rest of the lesson. The day's almost over, anyway." He smiled softly and helped me up off the ground, keeping his arm tight around my waist as we left the room.

"You okay, Jamie?" Will asked as we passed him.

I nodded. "Yeah, the girls just aren't feeling up to it today." I shrugged. "No worries."

He frowned, unsure, but let it go as Warren pulled me tighter against his side, kissing my temple as we left the room. We walked in silence; the only sounds were our footfalls and our soft breaths as we made our way outside. There were a few puffy clouds about but not much more during this still afternoon in late February.

Warren led me toward the side of the school, sitting down by the huge tree I loved, leaning his back against it and pulling me against his chest. I sat down between his legs and rested my head on his shoulder, pressing the bridge of my nose against his neck.

"How's the bike?" I asked quietly, feeling his arms tighten around me. "I'm sorry I got distracted while you were showing me."

"It's fine, baby," he replied. "The bike is running great. Mum was a little unsure at first but as soon as I took her for a spin she absolutely loved it."

'**Jamie?'**

I opened my eyes, leaning forward in confusion. D hardly sounded like herself; her voice was faint and weary… she sounded sad.

_Yeah?_

She was silent for a moment and I turned my head to look at Warren. "It's D… she needs something. I need to talk to her," I paused, my brows furrowing. "I'll be back in a minute, okay?"

"Sure," he answered softly, watching me with worried eyes as I stood and began to walk across the front lawn.

_You still there, D?_

'**Yeah, I'm here.'**

_You sound horrible… things aren't okay, are they?_

'**No, but they will be.'**

_Where's L?_

'**She's not here… she made me stay behind for a while.'**

_I don't understand._

'**I know, and you won't at first. But you'll be okay, Jamie. I promise.'**

_Will you?_

'**Yes, the two of us will be fine.' **She paused. **'You know that we love you, right?'**

_Of course I do. I love you, too._

'**We know. Please don't forget that, Jamie. No matter what happens.'**

_I promise._

I exhaled heavily, coming to a stop by the edge of the school. I looked over the edge, seeing the world continue on thousands of feet below us.

'**Jamie?'**

… _Yes?_

'**Let the others help you through this. Especially Warren, you know how he worries. Your friends and family will be there for you when you need them.'**

_I don't want you to leave…_

'**We have to.'**

_Be safe, okay?_

'**I promise.' **She fell silent for a moment. **'And Jamie?'**

_Yeah?_

'**Take a deep breath.'**

I closed my eyes, feeling a few tears roll down my cheeks, and inhaled steadily. Before I could brace myself, my body went limp; heat washed over me in a strong wave and I gasped, looking over my shoulder and meeting Warren's wide eyes before my world went black and the ground disappeared from beneath my feet.

* * *

**Jamie: Why do I always pass out?  
Will: Because it gives everyone a break from hearing your voice.  
Jamie: -Rolls eyes-  
BWA: So, what do you think happens?  
Warren: I think... you're going to make us wait until the next chapter.  
BWA: Good guess.  
Warren: -Smiles-  
Will: I used to have a voice like Justin Beiber.  
BWA: Really?  
Will: Yep. Then I turned four.  
Emmett: Oooooh! BURN!  
Jamie: -Laughs-  
Will: -Sends Jamie a text-  
Jamie: DON'T YOU TYPE AT ME IN THAT TONE OF VOICE!  
Will: -Smirks-  
BWA: Uh.. moving on!  
Emmett: Reviews are love!  
Warren: And we love you!  
Will: So leave us some love?  
Jamie: And don't forget to check the blog on Teaser Tuesday!  
BWA: Is that everything?  
Emmett: I'm pretty sure, yeah.  
Jamie: Hey, Will?  
Will: Hmm?  
Jamie: How do you keep an idiot busy for hours?  
Will: I don't know, how?  
Jamie: -Walks away-  
Will: -Looks at everyone else- Seriously, how do you keep an idiot busy for hours?  
Everyone: -Starts laughing- **


	3. My Beloved Was Weighed Down

**Will: -Looks at BWA- Can I ask you something?  
BWA: Of course.  
Will: If you sext, do you get a phoner?  
Jamie: -Starts laughing-  
BWA: -Facepalm-  
Warren: Just hope you don't get any textually transmitted diseases. Eh? Eh? Get it?  
Will: -Pauses- Oh! Yeah, I get it. -Grins-  
Emmett: I have nothing to say to that... -Shakes head-  
BWA: No kidding. How about we just shut up and let them read?  
Jamie: Good idea.**

**Disclaimer: I know what's mine, Disney knows what's theirs. We compromised. **

* * *

**_Chapter Three  
My Beloved Was Weighed Down_**

**WPOV**

I watched as Jamie stood up and wandered toward the edge of the school, her arms wrapped around her torso. She was distracted, worried for her counterparts for they knew that something was wrong.

No matter how hard I thought about it, I had no answers. I knew Jamie didn't either, otherwise this wouldn't be bothering her as much as it was; the two of us had been through so much together the year before. The things my father put her through completely rocked me and I learned not to put anything past him. The man had no soul.

The bell rang, signalling the end of the school day, and I stood, ready to make my way over to Jamie. Giving her a few extra minutes, I walked over to the stairs, leaning against the barricade; Will called my name and I turned, seeing him jog down toward me.

"How's she doing?"

"Okay, I guess," I replied, looking over at her again. She looked a little unsteady. "She's talking to D at the moment. I don't think she knows that the bell rang."

"She tends to block everything out when she gets like this," he muttered, concerned. "Give her a minute before you go and get her, I don't think she's up for flying home."

I nodded and he clapped me on the shoulder, watching as I stepped away and began walking over to Jamie. I went to call her name but stopped when she looked back over her shoulder; I was close enough that I could see the tears swimming in her eyes and the unusual paleness in her cheeks. In what seemed like slow motion, her eyes rolled back into her head and her body went completely limp, sagging forward before disappearing over the edge of the school.

"No!" I screamed, sprinting over to where she had been standing only seconds earlier. I heard Will call her name through the ringing in my ears before he raced past me, throwing himself into the open air and diving out of sight. I dropped to my knees, my heart racing – I didn't have the strength to look over the edge. I didn't want to see.

"She'll be okay," I whispered to myself, squeezing my eyes shut. "She's going to be okay… god, she has to be okay."

The others reached me quickly but kept their distance, watching as I shoved my hands into my hair and tugged on the strands until it hurt; I needed a distraction. Anything that would help me avoid thinking the worst.

My chest heaved and terrified tears swam in my eyes, blurring my vision as I trembled, my stomach heaving. It seemed like a lifetime later that Will came into view, shooting up and onto the grass. I stood on shaky legs, desperate for reassurance.

"What the hell happened?" he shouted as soon as his feet touched the ground. He walked over to me with his sister still in his arms, her head pressed against his chest, her eyes closed. "She's out cold," he told me when I realized that she wasn't moving.

"I don't know," I answered, shocked. "One minute she was talking to D and the next she was gone. She just… went limp and fell."

Will looked over my shoulder at the others. "Get in contact with my parents; whatever this is it's beyond us."

My brows furrowed but I didn't say anything; Will knew when something was wrong with his sister and it was best not to question him on it.

"She's warm," he told me, his face clouding with worry. "She's never warm. She's always got that chill to her skin… something's not right."

Jamie's weak voice reached us, mumbling something we couldn't understand. Will dropped to his knees and gently set her down on the grass, steadying her as she began to tremble.

"Jamie," I began softly, stroking my fingers down her cheek. "Can you open your eyes for me? I need you to open your eyes, okay?"

Her eyelids fluttered before they lifted, exposing her sky blue eyes, wide with panic. "They're gone," she whispered. "They're gone and I don't know why."

"Who's gone?" Will asked, looking down at his sisters' face.

"The girls!" She cried in terror. I reached for her, gathering her in my arms and feeling her press her face against my chest. "I can't hear them! They're gone!"

She screamed in agony, her fists slamming weakly against my chest. She used to be as strong as her brother… it was gone. I wrapped my arms tight around her and buried my face in her hair, rocking her from side to side as she sobbed, whispering "they're gone" over and over again.

She clawed and grabbed at my shirt as she cried, trembling and screaming in her panic for she didn't know what else there was to do. Someone must have sent for Principal Powers since she came out to see us not too long after the last bus-full of students left the grounds. Will explained our situation to her before she called Steve and Josie who showed up no more than ten minutes after the call disconnected. Jamie blacked out again during the time it took them to get here.

"She's unconscious," Powers told them, all business. "Her mind needs to protect itself."

"What happened?" Josie asked, looking at her daughter worriedly.

"From what your son has told me, there is something wrong with Jamie's powers," she replied. "Jamie seems to believe that her counterparts are gone, but we won't know for sure until she wakes up."

"Can we take her home?" Steve asked and I stood, Jamie still cradled against my chest. This scenario was all too familiar.

"That's probably for the best," Powers responded before looking over her shoulder. "Take Jamie home and call when you know more on her condition." She put her hand on Steve's shoulder, her expression full of concern. "Our thoughts are with you. Right now, there's something I need to organise."

"Thank you," Josie muttered, walking over to me. "How's she doing, Warren?"

I shook my head, unable to process anything. "She's… I can't… it's…"

Josie put her hands against my cheeks, her eyes filling with tears. "It's okay." She soothed. "She'll be alright; this is not like last year. However similar this seems to be, it is not like last year."

I nodded, looking up at Will as he reached us. "Take her," I whispered, placing Jamie in her brothers' arms. "I'll meet you back at your place."

"You gonna be okay?" He asked, turning toward the open air.

"Just get her home," I muttered. "She's your priority."

Too overwhelmed, I turned away from them and made my way over to the bus Principal Powers had organised to take us home, for everyone else had left. Zach, Magenta, Layla and Ethan watched me with worried eyes as I got on the bus and sat up the back, dropping my head into my hands.

"Don't worry about it, dude," Zach soothed as they sat down around me. "I'm sure she's fine."

"Whatever this is, she's been through a lot worse." Magenta added. "Trust that she'll be okay."

I raised my head, clenching my fists and begging them not to catch alight. "How can I do that when I watched her fall off the edge of the school?" I asked. "I almost lost her. Just then! I almost lost her!"

"Hey," Layla whispered, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Calm down."

"I doubt Jamie would want you to panic right now, man." Ethan said, resting his chin on the seat in front of him as Ron drove into the open air.

I pressed my forehead against the window, trying to keep myself calm and doing my best to avoid replaying Jamie's fall in my head.

As we began to descend, Layla's phone rang and she was quick to answer. We watched her face as she spoke, seeing the emotions flicker across her features. Concern, relief, love, more concern, reassurance, relief. It was a constant loop that only stopped when she hung up.

"That was Will," she announced as the bus settled on the ground, starting the drive down the familiar streets. "Jamie's awake; she keeps saying that her powers are gone. She's stressed and upset but other than that she seems to be fine."

I exhaled in relief, leaning my head back against the seat and rubbing my hands over my face. "Thank God."

"Whoa, dude, check out your shirt!" Zach exclaimed and I looked down at my clothes, confused.

Somewhere amidst her panic, Jamie had tugged so hard on my shirt that she had ripped it in quite a few places. I was surprised that I hadn't noticed it earlier, but I had been a little preoccupied. With a shrug, I peeled the shirt away from my body, throwing it onto the seat and grabbing my bag – which Ethan had been kind enough to grab for me – before standing and making my way off the bus which had stopped outside the Stronghold's place.

"Give Jamie our love," Layla called as the bus drove off; they were playing it safe and heading home, not wanting to crowd Jamie while she was so stressed out.

Josie opened the door before I could knock, her expression still one of worry. She put her hand on my shoulder for a moment before ushering me inside and walking up the stairs with me. "Will took her straight upstairs and stayed with her for a while. She's a little frightened but other than that she's managed to keep a level head. She needs you, though." We stopped outside her door and Josie lowered her voice. "If she has lost her powers, do your best to keep her calm, okay?" I nodded and she smiled slightly before walking back down the hall.

I took a deep breath before opening her door and peeking inside. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, her head down and her hands in her hair. "Jamie, baby, are you alright?"

"Not really," she sighed, looking up at me. My heart broke and I quickly walked over to her, but her arm shot out, her clenched fist pressing against my stomach. "Don't. Just… stay there a moment."

After a few minutes, she uncurled her fist and pressed her fingers against my bare skin. Looking up, she met my eyes and I reached out, stroking her tears away. She sobbed brokenly and I dropped to my knees, pulling her to me. She slipped off the bed and into my lap, straddling my thighs and wrapping her arms tight around me as she cried against my neck.

"What happened?" I asked, stroking her hair as she tried to even her breathing.

"I'm not entirely sure," she whispered when her sobbing subsided. She relaxed in my arms, her lips brushing against my neck as she spoke. Her body was slightly warmer, but I paid it no mind as I hugged her to me. "D said that L was already gone and she had just stayed to talk to me. She had… she had to go somewhere but wouldn't explain. Then… they left."

"They left?" I asked. None of this made sense; then again, her counterparts may have wanted it that way. "Your powers are gone?"

"Yes," she breathed. "I tried to use them before but I got nothing. I can't hear them, I can't feel them anywhere. They're just… gone."

She leaned back and met my eyes; thanks to D and L, Jamie always had black and gold flecks in her blue eyes; whatever had happened, those flecks had remained. "They didn't say why they had to leave?"

"No," she whispered. "Just… nothing."

Leaning back, she cupped her hands between us and stared at them, trembling with the effort to do… _something. _Her breathing began to skip as she wore herself out, silently pleading for something to happen. She really had lost her powers…

She sighed in defeat before reaching up, grabbing a handful of my hair and tugging gently as she pressed her forehead against mine. "I don't know what to do," she said strongly, squeezing her eyes shut. "I feel lost."

"It'll be okay, Jamie," I soothed. Gathering her in my arms, I climbed up onto the bed and pulled her close. She buried her face in my neck, wrapping her arms around me and pressing as close to my body as she could. "Right now you need to rest; we'll sort it out when you feel better."

"Promise me you won't leave," she whispered, needing the reassurance for a reason that was unknown to me. "I can't do this alone."

"I promise," I replied, kissing her hair. "I'm not going to leave. I couldn't leave, even if I tried."

She exhaled, pressing her lips to my neck before relaxing in my arms, her breathing evening out a few minutes later as she sank into unconsciousness.

I sighed, frustrated. Things never ended for her; first my father and now this. Squeezing my eyes shut, I buried my face in her hair and pulled her tighter against my chest.

What were we going to do?

* * *

**Warren: The back seat of the bus is not just a seat, it's a sign of power.  
Will: I remember when everyone would run to the back just to get that seat.  
Jamie: Actually, brother, that was just you.  
Emmett: -Snorts-  
BWA: -Smiles- Well, there you go. Jamie lost her powers, and we got some WPOV. Pretty good, huh? Well... not for Jamie, though... you know, because she lost her powers.  
Jamie: -Glares- Stop bringing it up.  
BWA: Sorry!  
Jamie: -Mopes-  
Warren: Aww. -Cuddles-  
BWA: So, what do you think? Were you expecting this? Freaking out because... -trails off and looks at Jamie- Uh... because it happened? Want to know what happens next? Well, you know what to do. -Grins-  
Will: Reviews are love!  
Warren: And we love you!  
Emmett: So leave us some love?  
Jamie: And don't forget to check the blog on Teaser Tuesday!  
Will: ... I'm kinda hungry.  
Jamie: Oh no, not this again.  
BWA: -Laughs- **


	4. Come Back When You Can

**Will: -Sings- I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy.  
BWA: -Stares- Is he singing Queen?  
Jamie: Yeah. He found our parents old CDs and hasn't stopped singing Bohemian Rhapsody.  
Emmett: Yikes. How long has it been going on for?  
Jamie: Three days.  
Will: -Keeps singing- Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter... to me.  
Jamie: -Groans- Make it stop.  
BWA: Okay, okay. Relax.  
Will: -Sings loudly- Mama, ooooooh! Didn't mean to make you cry, if not back again this time tomorrow, carry on, carry ooooon.  
Jamie: -Bangs head on the desk-  
BWA: -Smiles sympathetically- Well, for Jamie's sake, we'll stop now and let you read. I hope you're not too mad at me for making the girls go away. But trust me, it'll be okay.  
Will: -Strums air guitar-**

**Disclaimer: I know what I own, and I'm working on getting Disney to sign Warren over to me. Patience is the key. -Twiddles thumbs- **

_**

* * *

**_

**_Chapter Four  
Come Back When You Can _**

**JPOV**

I woke to the sound of thunder rumbling outside and rain falling heavily against the roof. Groaning softly, I shifted closer to the pleasant warmth beside me, arching my back a little to get rid of the kinks.

"Baby, are you awake?"

I squeezed my eyes shut as memories from yesterday raced through my thoughts. D and L were gone and I had no idea why… I fell off the edge of the school and woke up at home, dazed and confused.

"I wish I wasn't," I muttered, pressing my face against Warren's chest.

Warm arms wrapped tighter around me and I sighed, feeling tears burn in my eyes. I didn't want to think about the loss of my powers, my friends, my _self_. It was too much to handle all at once.

"Deep breaths, Jamie," Warren soothed, stroking my back gently. "Take it slow, one step at a time."

"They're really gone, aren't they?" I whispered. "I still can't hear anything."

"I'm sorry, baby," he sighed, once again using the pet name he had taken to a few months back.

"No, it's okay," I sniffed, pushing away from his warm body so that I could sit up. "I'm sure they had their reasons." I swung my legs over the edge of the mattress, touching the floor with my toes as I gazed out the window. I had trouble seeing past the raindrops that rolled down the glass. "I'm just feeling a little lost is all."

The mattress dipped as Warren sat up and I sighed, my head tipping back as he kissed my shoulder. "Think you're okay to go downstairs?"

I bit my lip; normally I'd be able to hear whoever was downstairs, but because I was now powerless, I didn't even know if anyone was awake. "No use putting it off, I guess."

He hummed behind me, nuzzling his nose against my skin. "Why not go and have a shower first?"

I came very close to asking him to join me, because I didn't really want to be alone, but I doubt that would be a suitable request to make right now. "Okay," I sighed, getting up off the bed and running my hands through my hair.

"Hey," I turned when Warren stood. He took my face in his hands and leaned his forehead against mine. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"No," I replied quietly. "But I have you, so I will be."

He smiled softly, kissing the tip of my nose before ushering me off to the bathroom. As I walked down the hallway, I could hear muted voices from downstairs; some low and some high. I was still too weary to distinguish certain tones.

I sighed when I stepped under the warm spray of the shower, running my hands through my hair as the water raced through it, making it stick to my skin. Steam quickly filled the bathroom and I pressed my forehead against the cool tiles, feeling the water beat down on my skin.

It was so odd, not hearing anything; having things change so drastically in such a short amount of time made me want to curl up on the floor and sob. I really did feel lost, I wasn't sure what to do with myself; would I be able to go back to school?

"Oh God," I whispered. What if they didn't let me go back to school because I had no powers? I wouldn't be able to participate in anything… what if I had to drop out? I had my end of year exams in a few months… what if I wasn't allowed to take them?

Wrapping my arms around myself, I stepped under the water again, trying to regulate my breathing. It wasn't smart for me to be left alone right now, so I was quick to wash myself, trying to get distracted by the scent of my shampoo or the swirling steam so that I didn't descend into chaos.

As soon as I was clean, I turned the taps off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a fluffy towel around my body and another around my hair. Walking over to the counter, I braced my hands on the cool surface and leaned forward, squeezing my eyes shut.

A knock on the bathroom door captured my attention, pulling me away from my scattered thoughts. "Jamie?" Warren called softly. "You okay in there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I replied weakly. "Just give me a minute."

I stood up straight and rubbed my hands over my face, exhaling heavily before reaching for my toothbrush.

Warren was waiting out in the hall when I stepped out of the bathroom. A frown was pulling at his lips as he put his hands on my shoulders, my skin still warm from my shower. I stretched up and kissed his chin before taking his hand and walking back down the hall to my room.

Having Warren in the same room as me when I changed wasn't a new thing; he knew when to look away. Sitting down on my bed, he looked at the case for a CD I had bought the previous week. While he was otherwise occupied, I quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a band shirt. Pulling the towel off my hair, I ruffled the still damp strands and hunted for my brush.

When all the tangles were removed, I sighed, not wanting to go back to the bathroom and blow dry my hair. Warren stood and walked over to me, putting his hands on my cheeks.

"Let me," he said softly, smiling at me as my eyes fluttered closed.

He moved his hands away from my face, threading his fingers through my hair; I sighed, feeling a tingling warmth make its way through my body. I shivered at the sensation, relaxing against Warren's chest as he ran his fingers through my now dry hair, following the soft, dark brown waves.

"All done," he whispered, kissing the top of my head. "How do you feel?"

"Empty," I replied through an exhale. "Like there are parts of me that are missing."

He fell silent, pulling me tighter against his chest. I tucked my head into the crook of his neck, wrapping my arms around his torso as we swayed from side to side. My stomach snarled quietly between us, reminding me to eat even though I didn't feel hungry.

"Come on," Warren muttered, taking my hand in his. "You need to eat."

Walking through the house, I leaned heavily against Warren's side, needing to feel his reassuring warmth. He squeezed my fingers, turning his head to kiss my temple; I could feel the stress and worry in my shoulders. It would take me a while to get used to the silence in my head.

The kitchen had quite a few occupants who all looked up when we walked in. Mum, Dad, Michelle and Will were all standing around, chatting quietly. I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my face against Warren's shoulder, not wanting to see the concern and sympathy in their eyes; it was not what I needed right now. I didn't want to be reminded of my loss…

Mum was the first to speak. "Morning, sweetheart. Hungry?"

"Not really, but I need to eat," I muttered into Warren's shirt. He wrapped an arm around me and kissed my temple.

"Feel like pancakes?" she asked.

"I do," Will replied and I looked over at him, smiling gratefully. He always knew what I needed; right now, I needed normal. "Do I get pancakes?"

Dad laughed. "You know you'll get pancakes," he joked, slapping my brother on the shoulder. "Come on; let's go see what's on the TV while your mother cooks up a storm."

Will met my eyes for a moment before he followed dad out of the room; I exhaled heavily, leaning further into Warren's side; he was quick to lead me over to the kitchen table, sitting down beside me and taking my hand.

"I hate to bring it up, sweetheart. But how are you this morning?" Mum asked, mixing some pancake batter; pancakes always cheered me up.

"I'm fine," I replied softly, leaning my head on Warren's shoulder; he pressed his cheek against the top of my head. "Just a little dazed, I guess."

Michelle looked at me with tender eyes, concerned. "You didn't retain any injuries from your fall?"

Warren flinched and I squeezed his hand. "Not that I know of; Will caught me before I could do any damage."

We fell silent for a moment; the only sounds were our breathing, mum's mixing and Will and dad's quiet banter from the other room.

"Do you think they'll let me go back to school?" I asked softly, trying to relax against Warren's warm body; I could feel the tension in my back. "Even though I have no powers?"

Michelle sat down on the other side of the table, her eyes wide with shock. "Of course they will; powers or not, you're a student, they have to let you finish your education."

"Look at Ron," mum soothed, scooping some of the batter into a frying pan. "He doesn't have any powers, but the school is more than content having him be a part of the staff."

"Yeah," I whispered, relieved. "You're right. But how am I going to do the physical aspect of my end of year exams?"

We had been told that there would be two aspects to our end of year exams: written and physical. They weren't telling us what the physical part was, just for us to be prepared.

"I'm sure they'll work something out," Michelle answered, smiling tenderly, her hazel eyes full of concern, the jade green flecks dancing in the light. "Besides, this might only be a temporary thing."

A heavy silence settled over us as they waited for me to say something. Inhaling shakily, I squeezed Warren's hand. "I hope so."

I struggled to eat, only managing to consume one of the two pancakes on my plate. I made Warren eat the other one while I curled into his side, my eyes shut tight to stop any tears from falling.

"Jamie?" Mum spoke up after a while and I cracked one of my eyes open to look at her. "Will you come with me please, sweetie?"

I hummed in reply, getting up after Warren kissed my forehead, and followed my mother out of the kitchen. "What do you need?" I asked quietly, my arms wrapped around my torso.

She didn't say anything, merely ushered me into the study and put her hand on the decoder for the Secret Sanctum. The doors opened and she slid down one of the two poles to get into the other room; I followed her silently.

"You need to talk, Jamie," she told me when I reached her. "I know this is bothering you."

"Of course it's bothering me," I replied in a whisper, realizing that what I needed right now was to talk to my mother. I leaned against the pool table and ran my hands through my hair, blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay. "I just lost my powers, that's bound to bother someone."

"Why are you bottling this up?" She asked worriedly. "You need to let it out."

"Because I'm scared!" I cried, the tears welling up and spilling over, racing down my cheeks in rapid succession. "I don't understand why this is happening to me."

"Oh, sweetheart," she whispered, stepping forward to wrap her arms around me. I buried my face in her shoulder, sobbing helplessly. "It's going to be okay."

"I feel lost," I sniffled. "I don't feel like myself. I feel hollow and I hate it." Mum leaned back to get a better look at my face, wiping my tears away with her thumbs. "Those girls were two of the most important people in my life and now they're gone. How am I supposed to deal with that? They're _gone _and I don't know if I'm going to get them back. I mean… did I do something wrong?"

"No," mum said sternly. "You have done nothing wrong, nothing at all. Don't you dare blame yourself."

"But –" I began, but she cut me off, speaking softly.

"D and L love you more than anything in the world, Jamie," she soothed. "They wouldn't leave without good reason. They wouldn't hurt you if they could prevent it; this is obviously something that had to be done." She paused, catching a new wave of tears as they fell. "They love you, do you understand me?" I nodded. "They love you and they will continue to love you. You have to trust them."

"I do," I whispered. "But I miss them."

She pulled me to her and held me close until my tears stop and my sniffles calmed. She kissed my hair and stepped away, holding me at arms length. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I replied quietly. "Thank you. I needed that."

"That's what I'm here for, darling. Don't ever hesitate to come to me if you need to talk about something, okay? We're all here for you, you're not alone."

I smiled sadly, remembering D's words to let my family and friends help me through what was coming. Only now did I understand.

Warren was sitting on the stairs when we came back up; Michelle sat beside him with her hand on his shoulder. I watched silently, leaning against the far wall; Warren ran his hands through his hair and sighed heavily.

"Jamie," Michelle said when she saw me, a soft smile on her lips; Warren's head snapped up. "Feeling any better, sweetie?"

"A little," I replied quietly. "I needed to talk about it."

"That's good. Well, I'm going to go and see if Josie needs any help around the house. I'll see you two later." With a quick kiss to her son's temple, Michelle got up and left the room.

I shuffled awkwardly on my feet for a few moments before I crossed the distance between us and held my hand out for Warren to take. "Come upstairs with me?"

Without a word, he stood and wrapped his warm hand around mine, following me up the stairs and into my room. Leaning against the wall, he watched as I turned my stereo on, the CD I had put in there a few nights ago beginning to play.

"What do you need, beautiful?" Warren asked softly when I turned to face him.

"Just you," I whispered. "I need… familiarity."

A flash of pain shot across his features before he walked to me, taking my hands and leading me to the bed. I glanced up at the painting of my meadow, the breathtaking scene taking up majority of the wall. Warren pulled me down onto the mattress, laying down beside me and pulling me against his chest.

"You haven't kissed me at all today," I said against his shirt, feeling his arms wind around me.

He hummed in realization, hooking one of his fingers under my chin and lifting my face to his. "We'll have to fix that, won't we?" He said against my lips before kissing me softly. The song changed, the lyrics reaching my ears and making my stomach clench.

_I am going away for a while  
__But I'll be back, don't try and follow me.  
_'_Cause I'll return as soon as possible.  
__See, I'm trying to find my place  
__But it might not be here where I feel safe._

Tears burned behind my closed eyelids but I fought them off. The warmth of Warren's lips was enough to distract me from the loss that was eating away inside me; I ran my fingers through his hair, pulling gently on the long strands. He ran his hand down my side, reaching my knee and hooking my leg over his hips; I sighed into his mouth as our tongues met. _This _was what I needed. _This _was familiar. I wouldn't lose this.

We spent the day in my room, just talking. Occasionally, the conversation would pause so that our lips could meet or so Warren could wipe my tears away. We spoke about whatever was on our minds, whatever we want to say. D and L didn't come up in conversation, it was too soon to talk about that and I was beginning to feel weary thanks to all my crying. I fell asleep in Warren's arms at one point, waking just in time to see the sunset.

"When's your next shift?" I asked quietly, burying my face in his neck as my room fell into darkness.

"I called them earlier, said I wouldn't be able to make it in for a few days. You're the most important thing in my world right now; work can wait." He replied, kissing my hair.

"You didn't have to do that," I whispered, cuddling closer to him. I was thankful he had, though; I needed him around.

"I want to be here for you, Jamie," he told me, his fingers tracing patterns on my back. "I refuse to be away from you when you need me."

"Thank you," I replied, pressing my lips to his neck.

Mum came upstairs after a while, asking what we wanted for dinner. We decided on pizza, getting up once mum had left.

"Hungry?" Warren asked, stroking his fingers through my hair as I stepped into his embrace.

"A little," I answered. "I think I need a bit of fresh air; I'm gonna go sit out on the roof for a while, okay?"

"Okay," he said, leaning back to kiss my forehead. "I'm gonna head downstairs and see if there's anything I can do. Just yell if you need anything." I nodded and he bent at the knees, bringing his eyes level with mine before he kissed me softly.

I exhaled heavily when he left the room, rubbing my hands over my face. Today was a day I couldn't wait to be done with; there was so much stress and worry and sadness and I wanted to get away from it. Crossing the room, I swung my leg over the windowsill and stepped out onto the roof.

"Oh, hey," I said, seeing my brother sitting in his usual spot. "I wasn't expecting to see you here. When did you come out?"

"Warren just let me know that you were going to get some air so I thought I'd join you." He replied, smiling at me as I sat down beside him, the moonlight shining on our skin.

"What am I going to do, Will?" I asked after a few minutes of silence. "I don't know how to deal with this."

"I do," he answered with a soft chuckle. "It's not easy, is it?"

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "I don't like it. I've never felt more human in my life." I froze when I realized that's exactly what I was. I used to have powers which didn't exactly put me in the human category… well, the _normal _human category, anyway. But now that's exactly what I was… I was a _normal _human. I wasn't like the rest of my family or my friends or my boyfriend…

I was an outcast.

"Oh, God…" I whimpered, burying my face in my brothers' shoulder. "Oh no, Will…"

"Yeah," he sighed. "I know how you feel."

"I don't want to feel like this," I said softly, my voice breaking slightly.

"It's not going to last forever," he replied.

"How do you know?"

"Because the flecks are still there in your eyes," he answered. I leaned back so that I could look at him and he smiled at me. "Those freaky little streaks of black and gold in your eyes are there, as always."

"What's that got to do with anything?" I asked, confused.

"It means that they're not really gone," he told me. "You never had them before you got your powers. If you had lost them completely, your eyes would just be blue, but they're not." He smiled wider, proud of himself. "They'll come back."

"I really hope you're right," I answered through a sigh.

He put a hand on my knee, bumping his shoulder against mine. "D and L wouldn't want you to be sad, Jamie." He said and I flinched slightly at the topic that had only been brought up a few times during the day, even though it's what everyone was thinking about. "Go and have fun. Live."

"You make it sound so easy," I whispered.

"That's just it," he said, smiling. "Living _is _easy. Having fun _is _easy. Sure, you feel lost for a while, but you learn to cope. I've been in your shoes before, sis. So you're not alone; I'm always here if you need me."

"Thanks, Will." I replied, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

"Anytime, Jamie." He draped an arm over my shoulders. "You know I love you."

"I do know that," I smiled, feeling a little better already. This time alone with my brother was what I needed; he understood my situation better than anyone, and I knew he'd help me though it. "I love you, too."

"Speaking of living," he spoke up after a while. "We turn seventeen next month and I don't feel like doing anything, what about you?"

My brows furrowed; the end of the month was a few days away. "Well, we had a little mini party last year, so I think we deserve a quiet year, what do you think?"

"I like the sound of that. Maybe we could play some Xbox and I could absolutely slaughter you."

I smiled when I caught on; he was making things normal. He was giving me what I needed. "Oh, I don't know," I replied as strongly as I could. "Your skills are still pretty weak. I'm pretty sure I'd win again."

"Don't go getting a big head," he teased, ruffling my hair.

We stayed out on the rooftop until the pizza arrived; only going inside when everyone downstairs shouted for us to do so. Will hugged me close for a moment, kissing my hair when the music from my room reached us.

_Come back when you can  
__Let go, you'll understand  
__You've done nothin' at all to make me love you less  
__So come back when you can_

_Come back, I'll help you stand  
__Let go and hold my hand  
__If all you wanted was me  
__Then I'd give you nothin' less  
__So come back when you can_

_

* * *

_

**Will: -Sings- So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?  
Jamie: -Grumbles- I'll do more than that if you don't shut the hell up, Will. You may be my brother but I'm ready to beat the crap out of you.  
Emmett: But you can't because you have no powers. -Points- BURN!  
Jamie: I hate you.  
Emmett: Aw, I love you, too, pipsqueak.  
Will: -Keeps singing- So you think you can love me and leave me to die?  
BWA: -Laughs- Since we're on the subject of music, I thought I'd mention that the songs in this chapter are "Misguided Ghosts" by Paramore and "Come Back When You Can" by Barcelona.  
Will: -Sings- Oooooh, baby. Can't do this to me baby.  
BWA: Also, updates for this story have been moved to Saturdays instead of Wednesdays. Is that okay? Awesome.  
Warren: Reviews are love!  
Emmett: And we love you!  
Jamie: So leave us some love?  
BWA: And don't forget to check the blog on Teaser Tuesday.  
Will: -Sings- Just gotta get out, just gotta get right out of here!  
Jamie: No kidding, let's go before he does any more damage to my ear drums.  
BWA: -Laughs-  
Will: -Sings- Nothing really matters, anyone can see. Nothing really matters, nothing really matters... to meeee.  
Emmett: -Softly- Any way the wind blows..  
BWA: -Cheers-  
**


	5. Hold On To That Feeling

**BWA: -Looks expectantly at Will-  
Will: What?  
BWA: You're not singing Bohemian Rhapsody.  
Will: I was earlier... but then I hurt myself.  
Jamie: -Snorts- I think it was life's way of telling him to give it a rest.  
BWA: What happened?  
Layla: Well, he came across the movie Wayne's World and spend the entire week banging his head during the guitar solo.  
Jamie: And because he's a moron, he banged his head right into the wall.  
BWA: -Snorts- Alrighty then. Well, major thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far. And if you're just reading, hello there! -Waves- Don't be scared to review.  
Magenta: No seriously, don't be scared. She's a massive review whore.  
BWA: -Rolls eyes-  
Magenta: See? See? No argument.  
Ethan: Hey, does anyone want Chinese take-out? I know a great place!  
Warren: Yeah, I work there.  
Emmett: -Walks in- I'll have the "cream of sum yung guy."  
-Silence-  
Jamie: Ew.  
BWA: -Starts laughing-**

**Disclaimer: I know what I own, but am still working on getting Disney to sign over the rights to Warren. Come on, Disney... come on...**

_**

* * *

**_

**_Chapter Five  
Hold On To That Feeling _**

I did my best to follow Will's advice from then on; I brought up my concerns with Warren, Michelle and my parents the next day. Everyone was really soothing and supportive; I was thankful to D for making me promise to let them in so that they could help.

From that day on, I was able to relax and begin easing myself back into my normal life. I was incredibly nervous that first Monday back; word had gotten around after my fall, so most people knew that I had lost my powers. I was never alone, though. That first morning, both Warren and Will walked with me, one on either side. People looked, but never for long.

The teachers had all been informed and Principal Powers had actually come out to speak to me during the day.

"Now, your parents have let me know about your current situation," she said the words carefully, unsure of how I would react. "And I want you to know that nothing will change. Your lessons will continue as normal, and we will try and get you involved in as many physical challenges as we can. If there's anything you need to ask, you're more than welcome to come and see me."

P.E was probably the hardest class for me; since most of my other classes involved theory, there was nothing different about them. But in P.E you were always active, always on the go; and you were always using your powers. A lot of the time I had to sit out and observe, but Boomer got me involved as often as he could.

Everyone saw the effect it was having on me. P.E used to be my favourite class because I was allowed to move around and give the girls some exercise.

Another thing that everyone had to think about was the fact that I wasn't as… sturdy… as I used to be. Will had to be careful with me, so that he didn't injure me with his strength, as did Dad. Warren had to be careful not to set his hands on fire while I was holding them, for it stung, very badly.

To my friends and family, now that I was simply human, I was incredibly fragile.

One thing I wasn't expecting was for Principal Powers to get so involved in this; well, maybe not her _particularly, _but she did call in some backup.

At the end of that first week without my powers, I was called into the Principals office during a lesson of P.E. Walking into the bright room, I was surprised to see a familiar face smiling back at me.

"Alex?" I asked, shocked.

She smiled wider, nodding happily. "Hey, Jamie. It's been a while."

"No kidding," I replied, sitting down in a chair on the other side of the Principals desk. Alex had graduated the year before with flying colours; she was a mind reader with freaky little psychic powers and she helped me work through my problems with Claire when they were giving me too much trouble.

"I've called Alex back to keep an eye on you, Jamie." Powers spoke up, recapturing my attention. "It's mainly so that she can keep track of your thoughts just in case there are any changes." She looked to the bronze haired girl that stood beside her. "Anything?"

Alex shook her head, her brows furrowing. "Only Jamie's thoughts; other than that it's complete silence."

I flinched.

"I'm not going to be following you like a hawk," she reassured me, laughing. "You'll just see me around the school each day. I'd be surprised if you noticed me, though." She winked. "You still with Warren?"

"Yeah," I replied, relaxing. "Things are good."

"I'm happy for you," she smiled. "I couldn't imagine either of you with anyone else."

"Okay, girls," Powers interrupted with a small laugh. "Plenty of time to catch up later; Jamie needs to get back to class."

I stood and said a quick goodbye to Alex before I left the room, trying to wrap my head around the quick conversation. Alex had been called back to keep track of my thoughts… that was a little odd, but I guess I could understand the Principals reasoning. They wanted to keep a close eye on me just in case there was any indication that the girls were coming back.

The bell rang for the end of the day when I reached the gym.

"Hey," Warren greeted when I walked over to him. He took my face in his hands and kissed me softly, taking in the distracted expression on my face. "What happened?"

"Um… Principal Powers called Alex back in to keep an eye on me." I replied, focusing on his face. "Just in case."

"Oh," he answered, his brows furrowing. "That's… odd."

"That's what I thought," I replied with a quiet laugh. "It's good to see her again, though."

"And you're okay with this?" he asked as we left the gym and walked through the busy corridors. "It doesn't bother you?"

"No, I'm fine with it." I answered calmly. "If this is something they want to do, I'm not going to object."

To be honest, hardly anything changed, the only difference was that I saw Alex once or twice a day. She let me know that she'd inform me if there were any changes in my thoughts; I didn't really expect any, so it didn't bother me much when I never heard anything.

I refused to go back on my word. I told Will that I would live and be happy, and that's exactly what I was going to do.

* * *

"Mmm, smells good, baby."

I looked over my shoulder and smiled at Warren who had just walked into the kitchen. He leaned against the counter and watched as I cooked lunch. "Why, thank you."

"I love watching you cook," he muttered as I added some cream to the pasta sauce I was making. "You look so relaxed."

I collected a spoonful of the mixture – onions, tomatoes, cream and some herbs and spices – and held it up to Warren's lips. "Want to try?"

He smiled at me and opened his mouth, letting me slip the spoon between his lips. He moaned softly as he tasted the concoction and I laughed, putting the now empty spoon in the sink. "That's fantastic," he said, moving so that he was standing behind me, his arms wrapped around my stomach. "What is it?" He asked, scattering kisses on my neck and shoulder.

"Tomato pasta," I answered. "I haven't made it in ages. It was one of my favourite meals as a kid; mum would cook it all the time. I used to get so impatient while she was cooking; I'd nag her the entire time."

He laughed and kissed the curve of my ear, grazing my earlobe with his teeth before he stepped away, letting me dish up. "You're adorable."

I smiled at him, putting the pasta into four separate bowls; Will had demanded I make enough for him. He and Layla were going to the movies in half an hour, so it would just be Warren and I for the rest of the afternoon since mum and dad were out at work. And when I say work, I mean Real Estate.

"Come on, you two," I called, making sure Will and Layla could hear my voice from the living room. "Lunch is ready."

"Woo!" Will cried before he barrelled into the room, Layla wandering in behind him, shaking her head with a smile. "Hit me up, sis."

"Your stomach overrules any hope of better judgement," Warren teased, wrapping his arms around my waist as I put the sauce over the pasta, inhaling as the smooth scent reached me. "Then again, I can't blame you, it smells fantastic."

I handed Will his bowl of food, watching as he grabbed a fork and started shovelling it into his mouth, smiling widely. "This is awesome, Jamie. Gets better every time."

I laughed, sliding a bowl over to Layla, "there you go, hippie."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Thanks, Jamie."

We conversed easily as we ate; it had been almost two and a half weeks since… well, since _it _happened. I was proud to say that I was coping very well; but my brother had said that he wanted me to _live. _I wanted to get out there and do something, but I wasn't entirely sure as to what.

Warren laughed beside me, leaning against the counter as he spoke animatedly to my brother, talking between bites of his food. I watched him as he ate, noticing the way his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, the way the red streak sat against his otherwise black hair, the way his chocolate eyes shined whenever he smiled. Realizing that I was watching him, Warren turned to look at me, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Blinking heavily, I smiled at him and shook my head, turning back to Layla who was watching me with the same expression on her face. I winked at her and she laughed, leaning her head on Will's shoulder.

I had an idea.

Once Will and Layla left for the movies, Warren and I got started on loading the dishwasher. We conversed smoothly, stealing a kiss every now and again. When the dishes were all loaded, I pushed the top in and hopped up onto the kitchen counter, holding my arms open for Warren. He smiled brightly and stepped between my legs, exhaling softly when I wrapped them around his waist. He leaned forward and braced his hands on the counter on either side of my hips, pressing his lips against mine as I plunged my hands into his hair.

It was hard for me to break away from his burning lips, even then I struggled to speak for he pressed his hips firmly against mine, grazing his teeth down my neck.

"Warren?" I gasped. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything, baby," he replied, kissing the soft skin behind my ear before scattering kisses along my jaw.

"If I asked you to do something for me, would you?"

He hummed against my skin. "Of course. What do you need?"

I chewed on my bottom lip for a moment. "Will you teach me how to ride the motorbike?"

He froze before leaning back to look at me with wide eyes. "Are you serious?"

I grinned. "You bet."

* * *

Chewing on my bottom lip, I glanced over at the bike that stood proudly not too far from me. Warren had driven us out to a quiet part of town, a good half hour trip from our house. We were on a long, winding dirt road, lined with tall standing trees; other than us, it was practically deserted.

"Most motorbike riders come down here to race," Warren had told me when we first arrived. "We're about ten minutes from any houses so we don't have to worry about making too much noise."

We had done a few trips up and back and it shocked me to see just how far the road went. This hidden spot was beautiful, though; I had never been here before and was surprised to see the hills that surrounded us. It was easy to forget that we weren't far from Maxville; it felt like I was in another world.

Nonetheless, I had yet to ride the bike on my own. We had been here for an hour already; Warren had sat on the road with me, going over the parts of the bike that were the most important. He quizzed me on it after I felt as though I could remember it all; when he mentioned that I passed with flying colours, I realized that it was time to ride.

"Jamie?" Warren asked, walking over to me. "You okay?"

"Yep," I replied quickly, the shakiness in my voice betraying me.

He hooked a finger under my chin and lifted my head so that I would meet his gaze. "We don't have to do this today, baby."

"No, no," I reassured him. "I'm fine, just a little nervous to be doing this on my own."

He smiled softly and kissed my forehead. "We'll start slow, and I'm right here if you need me, okay?"

I nodded and took his hand, letting him lead me over to the bike that was looking more and more intimidating by the second. I felt a flicker of sadness when I didn't hear the excited voices in my head, but I let it go.

"On you get," Warren said, leaning against the handlebars as I swung my leg over the seat and settled down. "Safety first," he added, holding up the silver helmet for me to put on. I poked my tongue out at him but put it over my head, brushing my hair away from my eyes.

"I feel like a dork," I laughed quietly, trying to distract myself. It felt like there were millions of butterflies going berserk in my stomach.

"Trust me, it's anything but dorky." He smiled. "In all honesty, you on this bike by yourself has to be one of the sexiest things I've ever seen."

I blushed inside the helmet, shifting on the seat. "Can we go over things one more time?"

"Of course," he replied. "Where's your clutch?"

I curled my fingers around the lever on my left handlebar.

"Good. Where's your brake?"

I pointed to the lever over the throttle.

He nodded. "That's right; we'll start using the brake behind your foot when you're a bit more… durable."

I exhaled heavily, knowing he was talking about when my powers came back and I'd have my quick healing in case I crashed.

"Okay, throttle?"

I twisted the right grip.

"Gearshift?"

I pushed against it with my left calf.

"Very good, you've got all the important parts down. You know to keep hold of the clutch?"

"Uh-huh," I breathed, excited but still incredibly nervous.

He smiled and moved to stand beside the bike, one hand on the seat behind me and the other covering my left hand. "Hold down on the clutch and –"

"Don't let go," I finished in a soft voice, slightly muffled by the helmet. "I remember."

"I'd be worried if you didn't." He replied. "Okay, do you think you can kick start it?"

I shifted my weight on the seat, testing my balance. "Yeah, I got this."

Warren stretched his thumb away from the seat and rubbed it reassuringly against my lower back as he grabbed my hand and curled it around the clutch. "Hold tight and only release it when I tell you to." I nodded, keeping my eyes focused on the road in front of me. "Now, steady yourself and try to start it."

I exhaled in a rush and put my right foot firmly on the ground before I slammed my left foot down on the pedal. The ignition caught smoothly and the bike snarled to life underneath me; I jumped in surprise but kept my balance and my grip. I whipped my head around so that I could look at Warren who was smiling in satisfaction at the sound.

"Beautiful," he murmured before focusing on me again. "Well done, baby. Now, put it in first gear."

I kicked the gearshift down one notch.

"Nicely done, one more thing before we go." I nodded, wriggling impatiently. "Very gently ease up on the clutch. Don't freak out when you start moving, just relax and move as the bike does, you'll be fine."

With that, he stepped away and let me do what I had to. I squeezed my eyes shut for half a second before I snapped them open, steadied myself and relaxed my hand in tiny movements. The gear caught and the bike lurched forward.

The strength with which I raced down the dirt road was unbelievable. The hair that wasn't trapped under my helmet whipped out behind me, and I found myself grateful for the tinted glass cover over my eyes that protected them from the wind and watering that was sure to come from it.

I leaned forward and tightened my hands around the handlebars, shifting my weight to the right as I came up to a small bend; I turned the handlebars and smiled when the bike smoothly tilted to the side, clearing the corner without so much as a stutter.

My heart raced, thumping wildly against my ribs as I moved with the bike, the blooming trees nothing but a wall of blurred green on either side of me. The shadows from the canopy above my head whipping over me before allowing the sun to peek through. Hot and cold, hot and cold, I felt the temperatures change as I rode through covered areas and out into the open.

I couldn't help but be reminded of D as my body hummed with excitement. Whenever I let D take control of my body, it felt like one huge, ongoing adrenaline rush; I cherished the moment that allowed me to feel close to her once again. I could almost hear her squealing with delight in my head.

I continued to race down the dirt road, eventually coming to the last stretch before I had to turn back. I slowed down slightly as I came to the end of the road, turning carefully, staying on the dirt before revving the bike, feeling it roar and snarl eagerly beneath me. The vibrations from the engine made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end and I tipped my head to the side, taking a moment to gather myself before I found myself moving again.

The back wheel spun out on the dirt, swinging the back of the bike out before gripping and shooting me forward again; dirt exploded in a huge cloud behind me as I raced back down the long road, crying out in exhilaration.

Warren's tall form came into view after a few minutes, standing in the middle of the road. I revved the bike with a grin, speeding up for a few seconds before relaxing, listening to the engine as it softened to a low growl. I wrapped my fingers around the brake and pulled on it, feeling the bike lose its energy as we cleared the distance between us and Warren in a few relaxing minutes.

I came to a stop a few metres away from him, turning the engine off and sitting up straight, my hands still gripping the bars. I looked up at Warren, watching as he walked over to me, smiling brightly. He grabbed my helmet and pulled it gently off my head, laughing when he saw my flushed cheeks and wide eyes.

"How was it?" he asked, his eyes travelling down my body, seeing the small trembles that rolled over me in soft waves.

"I… it was…" I exhaled shakily, giggling madly as I rode out the last few seconds of my adrenaline rush. "That was unbelievable!" I cried after a few moments. "Now I see why you got this thing in the first place. Riding a motorbike is unlike anything I've ever experienced."

He grinned before kicking the bike stand out and gathering me in his arms, lifting me up off the seat and setting me down on the ground. My legs shook before they buckled and I laughed as I slumped against Warren, burying my face in his chest.

"You alright?" He asked through soft laughter.

"I'm brilliant," I replied, leaning back and brushing a few locks of hair away from my face. "Can we do it again?"

He rolled his eyes and bent down to kiss my forehead. "I'm worried about what I've started here," he chuckled. "Get on the back, we need to head home, it's getting late."

I raised my eyebrows before looking skyward, feeling rather shocked when I saw that the sky had changed from bright blue to a light purple, signifying that the day was coming to and end. "I didn't even notice the time passing," I murmured.

"Motorbike riding does that to you," he said, hugging me close for a moment and burying his face in my hair. "You looked like every guys wet dream on that bike, I swear to god."

I laughed, slapping his chest gently. "You're such a smart ass."

He grinned, letting me go so that he could grab his helmet from the ground. "Come on, sexy, we need to get going."

I poked my tongue out at him, but he shot forward and caught it between his lips, wrapping his arms around me and pressing me up against the bike. I moaned deeply, wrapping my arms around his neck as he hitched my leg up around his waist.

It took us a little longer to get home than we originally planned.

* * *

"So, how did it go?" Mum asked when we walked in the front door about and hour and a half later. Michelle sat beside my mother on the couch, looking at us from the living room.

"Safe to say she's a natural," Warren replied, his arm tight around my waist. "You should have seen her."

I blushed, rolling my eyes. "I basically had to take an exam on the fundamentals of riding before I was allowed anywhere near the thing on my own."

Michelle laughed at us, reaching for her cup of coffee.

"Are the others not back yet?" I asked, realising that my brother had not yet come out to greet us.

"No, Will mentioned that they were going over to Layla's after the movie, they won't be back until later." Mum replied.

"Oh, no worries." I smiled. "I can postpone the interrogation for a little while." I laughed, looking up at Warren. "You really need to teach Will how to ride that thing soon, he's going to keep pleading with you."

"Pfft," he said in response, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. "Alright, let's get you upstairs, you're all dirty."

Michelle snorted and I laughed at her. She could be a bit of a pervert; she may be a grown woman, but she was certainly a child at heart.

When I got upstairs and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I realized that Warren was right, I was covered in dirt. Rolling my eyes at my reflection, I moved to change into a tank top and short shorts while Warren relaxed on my bed.

"You always tend to gravitate to my bed whenever we're in here," I told him once I had brushed through my tangled hair. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

He smirked. "Well, unless you get a couch in here, the bed is my main relaxation spot. You got a problem with that?"

"Not at all," I replied, crawling up the mattress and moving so that I straddled his hips. He sat up and wrapped his arms around me, looking me right in the eyes.

"Are you okay, Jamie?" He asked me, his brows furrowing in concern.

"Of course," I replied, shifting nervously at the sudden change of topic. The tension in the room thickened and I knew that he had noticed something I had been trying to hide.

"You're lying," he said, calling me out. "You've been distracted ever since you rode on your own."

I sighed and dropped my head down. "You caught that, huh?"

"Yeah," he muttered, reaching up to stroke my hair. "What's on your mind, beautiful?"

I shrugged, swaying slowly. "I don't know, I mean, I should have moved on by now, but…" I paused to sigh heavily. "The adrenaline rush I got from riding reminded me of D, and it made me miss them…"

"Oh, Jamie," he sighed, pulling me close. My eyes stung with tears and I cursed myself for being so vulnerable. "I should have known better, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," I sniffed, burying my face in his shoulder. "I wasn't expecting it either."

We sat there for a while and eventually Warren began to rock us from side to side, pressing his lips against my hair and whispering his love for me over and over. He held me until my tears ran dry and my breathing had evened out; it had been so long since I'd cried over the loss of my powers and in that, part of myself. I knew I hadn't moved on, but I didn't think it would hurt this much to think about it.

"What do you miss the most?" he whispered after a few minutes of silence. I bit down on my bottom lip, pressing my face further into his shoulder. He reached up to stroke my hair again, giving me the courage to speak.

"I miss… flying." I whispered, hiccupping. "I miss the freedom that brought. To be completely alone, watching the world continue under you as you caught the wind and sailed through the open sky. I miss the company, the twenty four seven companions. I miss laughing at their jokes and rolling my eyes at their arguments. I miss how things used to be."

I shifted in his lap as the tension in my chest began to ease. Talking about it made me feel better, as though a weight had been taken off my shoulders. I could breathe easier, I missed them, but now it didn't hurt as much as it had ten minutes ago.

"How are you?"

I sighed quietly, relaxing in his arms. "Better now."

"Good," he whispered, pulling me back and kissing my temple. "How long had you kept that bottled up for?"

"Since it happened."

"Why didn't you come and talk to me about it?" He asked, looking hurt.

I flinched at the pain on his face, pressing my hands against his cheeks. "Just like last year, I didn't want you to worry any more than you had to. I thought I could deal with this by myself, but I don't think I can. D told me to let you in, to let you help. I tried to open up the day after, but it wasn't easy. I think now I can do just that; I can follow their instructions and let you all help, because it's what they wanted."

He watched my face as I spoke, seeing the realization wash over me. "Smart girl," he smiled, kissing my nose.

I smiled back at him, relieved and grateful and happy all at once. Leaning towards him, I pulled his face to mine and kissed him softly, parting my lips and letting his tongue slide through.

"I love you," I whispered as we parted for air, our lips still brushing together.

He smiled as our lips met again. "I love you."

* * *

**BWA: Aww.  
Jamie: Yep, I rode the motorbike.  
Will: -Grumbles-  
Jamie: -Laughs- Someone's jealous.  
Warren: -Grins-  
Emmett: I can run faster than that bikes goes. -Flexes-  
BWA: -Giggles- So, what do you think? Is it coming along well? Glad Jamie is starting to adjust?  
Layla: Hey, Will?  
Will: Hmm?  
Layla: Would you like to have dinner one night?  
Will: Oh, I like to have dinner every night.  
Emmett: -Blinks-  
BWA: -Facepalm-  
Emmett: Reviews are love!  
Warren: And we love you!  
Magenta: So leave us some love?  
Will: And don't forget to check the blog on Teaser Tuesday!  
Ethan: -Looks at Chinese Food menu- Emmett, they don't have the "cream of sum yung guy."  
Jamie: -Cringes- Ewww.  
Emmett: -Smirks- **


	6. What I Can't Control

**BWA: -Frowns-  
Warren: What's up?  
BWA: I don't feel very funny today.  
Jamie: -Gasps-  
BWA: I know! I'm all like... blah.  
Emmett: Like Kesha? BLAAAH BLAAAH BLAAAAAH.  
BWA: -Smiles- Well, since we really don't have anything important to say... you might as well go and read.  
Will: -Starts humming Don't Stop Believing-  
Jamie: Would you please keep my brother away from your iPod!  
Emmett: -Laughs-**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this shizz... yo. **

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**_Chapter Six  
What I Can't Control_**

_If you are hit by a stun ray, how long do you have before you regain total use –_

"Ugh!" I groaned. "Forget it!"

I pushed the book off my lap, huffing as it bounced off the couch and fell to the floor. I had been trying to do my Mad Science homework for the past hour and I just wasn't getting anywhere.

"Having trouble?"

I looked up to see Layla standing in the arch way, two glasses of soda in her hands. "You have no idea," I sighed, relaxing into the cushions as she sat down beside me, handing me the other glass. "Thanks."

"No problem," she replied with a smile. "Mad Science?" she asked, nodding towards my injured book.

I nodded, rubbing my forehead with my hand. "Yeah, it's been giving me hell all afternoon. My brain just doesn't want to cooperate."

"Tell me about it," she whined. "Medulla piles the work on for everyone. Hero or Sidekick, it's like he gets off on torturing people."

I smiled weakly at her, taking a sip of my drink. "Ah, sugar." I sighed. "Just what my sore brain needs, I was beginning to feel a little weary."

Layla laughed under her breath, rolling her eyes. "So, where's Warren this afternoon?"

"Working," I muttered, pouting. "He has a late shift that started right after school."

"What time does he finish?"

"Nine," I sighed. "He'll probably crawl into my window around nine-thirty-ish."

She grinned. "I'm shocked that your parents haven't caught you yet."

I shrugged. "Well, if they know about it they're pretending that they don't, which is fine by me." I raised an eyebrow at her. "You can't say that Will hasn't snuck into your room at night."

She blushed a little.

"I knew it!" I laughed, pointing at her. "You gotta admit, he's pretty stealthy."

"Not as stealthy as you," she replied, her eyes widening in shock when she realized what subject she had touched on.

"Don't fret, dude." I soothed her with a dismissive wave of my hand. "It's okay."

"You don't mind it?"

I bit down on my bottom lip. "I speak to Warren about it a lot now, so it takes a bit of the sting away. I wasn't expecting to move on as soon as it happened; Will's convinced they'll come back."

"I'm with him," she replied.

I smiled. "Thanks, hippie." I took another sip of my drink and looked around the room. "Where is my brother anyway?"

"He went to Zach's for a little while, apparently he has a new Xbox game that Will has been dying to get, so he's gone over to our glowing boy's house to give it a test run."

"Ah," I hummed, grinning. "That sounds like my brother."

"So, anything on TV?" she asked, nodding towards the flat screen.

I shrugged. "I have no idea, I haven't checked. There's usually some good stuff on around this time of day."

Layla reached for the remote and started flicking through channels, deciding on a cartoon about a dog and a squirrel. The dog's laugh was infectious and I found myself giggling whenever he spoke.

Turns out, that particular show was having a marathon, so Layla and I stayed on the couch and watched the whole thing. We were still laughing when Will got home with Michelle in tow, a grocery bag in her arms. Mum and dad were out on _another _distress call. Wednesday's were always popular days for super villains.

"Who's hungry?" She called as she made her way into the kitchen. "I brought chips and dip, you kids like guacamole, right?"

"You're spoiling us, Michelle," I called back, grinning.

Will walked into the room, took one look at the screen and looked at us with raised eyebrows. "What the hell are you watching?"

"It's called _Best Ed,_" Layla replied. "Don't knock it, we're now obsessed."

I checked the show listings and gave a small cry of excitement. "_Storms Hawks_ is on next! Woo hoo!"

My brother did nothing but roll his eyes at me. "You're such a loser."

"Pity we're twins then, huh?" I teased. "That means you have the other half of the loser gene."

"Alright, that's enough, you two." Michelle scolded light heartedly as she walked into the room with a bowl and packet of chips. "I see you've given up on homework, Jamie."

I laughed, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, it's not my friend right now."

She smiled understandingly. "I remember the feeling. Well, since that's not on your to-do list at the moment, do you want to get back to your painting? I brought everything with me."

A few days after my motorbike ride, I had gone over to Warren's place and asked Michelle if she could help me paint something. The last time I tried to do so, I ended up painting some kind of blob. But now I had a lot of free time and really wanted to try something new; she was more than willing to help.

Warren had watched us with a smile as we sat down on the floor and looked over all of Michelle's nature photos. I hadn't realised that she was so well travelled; she had an aptitude for photography as well. I wanted to start easy, but none of them looked simple. I ended up choosing a shot from a lake in Canada at sunset; there was a small wooden boat on the shore, surrounded by long grass and towering trees. The smooth, glassy water behind it painted a beautiful picture, and I couldn't wait to get started.

Michelle looked at my expression, grinning when she saw my excitement. It had been a little while since I had worked on it; she was painting me a new forest portrait as well. I planned to cover my wall with her work, it was that beautiful.

"So, where do I start?" I asked, looking at the outline of my painting once we had set it up on the easel. I hadn't started painting yet, only sketched the scenery. It was like paint by numbers… without the numbers.

We had set up outside, soaking up the sunshine and clear blue sky; I loved painting outdoors, there was something so relaxing about it. Layla had reminded me to change my shirt before I went to paint; I had laughed and dashed upstairs to put on an old shirt, covered in splotches of paint from my other failed attempts.

"I'd say… start with the sky, that way you can reflect the colours and patterns back onto the water when we get to that." She replied, holding her arm out and watching as a beam of sunlight wrapped around her skin. I tried to ignore the pang of longing that burst in my stomach from seeing someone use their powers.

Dabbing the brush carefully against my paint pallet, I inhaled deeply and steadied my hand before getting to work. We were silent for at least half an hour, and I had part of the sky done before Michelle started humming. I paused, listening to the tune before catching on and laughing in delight.

"Are you serious, Michelle? _Hairspray_?"

She blushed and poked her tongue out at me. "Don't judge. I watched it last night and the songs have been stuck in my head ever since."

"I'm not judging," I replied. "I actually have the soundtrack."

She shook her head, smiling. We hummed together as we got back to work, but eventually, she spoke again.

"So, seventeen in a few days, huh?"

I leaned back in my chair and exhaled heavily. "Where did the time go?"

"No kidding," she laughed. "It seems like just yesterday you two were turning sixteen. I can't believe a year has gone by already."

I nodded, lowering my head. "It's been almost a month," I whispered to myself.

Michelle's face fell and she quickly stood, moving to stand behind me. "We're here for you, gorgeous. You know that." She soothed me, kissing my hair.

"We're home!"

I looked up and over my shoulder, hearing my parent's voices ring through the house. After a few minutes Mum walked outside with Dad in tow, jogging down toward us so that she could give Michelle and me a kiss on the cheek.

"How are you, sweetie?" Mum asked, taking my face in her hands.

"I'm okay," I replied. "Like my painting?"

She smiled and looked at the canvas. "Wow, Jamie. That's really good."

"You're biased," I joked.

Michelle chuckled lightly before heading inside. "I'm gonna make some coffee, anybody want one?"

"I won't say no," dad replied, following her.

"Get me one while you're there, would you?" mum called. When they were out of sight she knelt down and looked over my features. "Did you want to do anything for your birthday this year?"

I shook my head. "No, it's okay. I'm happy just relaxing."

She stretched up and kissed my forehead. "I'm sure that, wherever they are, they're thinking of you."

With those words, my will crumbled again.

Mum stayed outside with me, wiping away each of my tears as they fell.

I struggled to get to sleep that night, tossing and turning in my bed, shivering in my loneliness. It wasn't until a warm body settled in beside me, two burning arms wrapping around me, that I finally fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

"My head hurts."

"That's because you're a wuss."

"I am not, Boomer slaughtered us just then."

Warren just raised an eyebrow, showing that he didn't intend to care anytime soon.

"Whatever, Hothead." Will sighed, giving up. "You know that lesson was tough."

He just laughed and pulled me closer, pressing his lips to my temple as we walked. We were on our way to Mad Science; Warren had helped me with my homework last night, so I was feeling good now that I was up to date. I'd been feeling a little scatterbrained since Wednesday, realizing that it was almost a month since I lost my powers.

"Baby, you okay?"

I looked up at Warren's face, seeing the concern in his expression. I took a deep breath and nodded; from the way his brows furrowed, I know he saw right through me. Everyone knew that I was going through a bit of a tough time right now; I had been making really good progress, but the reminder of my loss shot me down again.

Alex had caught up with me when I got to school this morning, skimming through my thoughts and hugging me when she saw how upset I had been. I asked if there had been any changes in my thought pattern, but she had just shaken her head.

Nothing.

I sighed as we walked into the classroom, nodding at Mr Medulla as we passed him. Will moved to his table and sat down by his lab partner while Warren and I moved to the back of the room; I didn't like being up close, because I knew that people were looking at me.

Sitting down, I shuffled closer to Warren, taking his hand and leaning against him while we waited for class to start. There was nothing I needed more than Warren's support, especially in the last few days. He had climbed through my window every night, knowing that I didn't want to be alone.

Mr Medulla cleared his throat, capturing our attention. He looked over the full tables and smiled in satisfaction, noting that each of his students were here.

"Good afternoon, class." He greeted us, leaning against his desk. "Today we will be touching on a topic that I have mentioned a few times before. Now, we all know that villains will scour the globe to find something to bring their nemesis down. One of which is what I have to show you today." He turned to a green object on his desk, putting a pair of gloves on so that he could lift it up. It glowed menacingly, throbbing with life.

"This small crystal can make or break a hero," he explained. "One touch can drastically alter someone with powers. Unfortunately, it's so unpredictable that it's hard to detect a pattern on how it works. Sometimes it amplifies a power, other times it erases it completely." I didn't miss the way his eyes flicked over my face. "A single second of contact with your bare skin is all it would take. The effects would set in about five minutes after initial contact. Once you touch it that's it." He smiled fondly at the object in his hand. "Fortunately, there are antidotes for this, but they take a long time to make."

I bit down on my bottom lip as I considered the possibilities that little crystal brought with it.

Warren squeezed my hand and bent down so that he could whisper angrily in my ear. "Don't even think about it, Jamie."

I closed my eyes and sighed, trying to clear my head but the thoughts would not go away.

Medulla got us to copy some notes and then he spoke about the different types of crystals used against heroes until the bell went. The class hustled and bustled to get out, for this was the final class of the day; Warren collected his things and slipped them into his bag, watching as I twirled my pen between my fingers.

"Do you mind waiting for me out in the hall?" I asked quietly, not meeting his eyes. "I have something I need to do."

"Jamie –"

"Just… please?" I whispered, closing my eyes. "I won't be long."

He sighed but got up and left the room in silence. I sat there for a few moments, trying to gather my thoughts; gazing around the room, I saw that Mr Medulla had gone. Now really was the only chance I had.

Putting my things away, I got out of my chair and walked to the front of the room, stopping by the desk that held the object I was so fascinated with. That little green crystal sat perfectly still, glowing in soft waves every few seconds. I reached out to touch it before I stopped, hesitating.

As soon as I saw the crystal at the start of the lesson, I knew that it may be able to give me what I wanted. I focused on that and nothing else; but now, looking at it with no one here to stop me, I wasn't sure if this was what I wanted to do.

Was this the right choice?

I needed normalcy more than anything right now. I needed the girls to come back; I felt so scatterbrained. Life was continuing as normal around me but I struggled to keep up; I was in my own little emotional bubble. While everyone else was happy and cheery, I was dealing with loss and struggling more than I cared to admit. I was on an emotional roller coaster, fine one minute, in tears the next.

I _needed _this.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

My head whipped to the side, my hand snapping back against my chest. Mr Medulla stood in the doorway, sympathy and understanding highlighting his features.

"I'm sorry, I should have asked and… I didn't touch it, but I was going to and then I –"

He held up a hand to silence me, nodding. "Don't worry, Jamie. I understand." He walked toward me, leaning against the desk again. "Did you ever think about the consequences that could come of this?"

I hesitated before shaking my head. "No. I saw only what I wanted."

He smiled. "That can happen to people when they experience loss like yours. I wouldn't risk it though, Jamie. There is every possibility that your powers can come back; don't lose faith and don't tamper with it. Let things continue as they should."

I looked down at my feet, realizing that I was being reckless. I could have harmed myself by touching that crystal. "Thank you, Mr Medulla. I needed that."

"Think nothing of it. Now, you should probably get out there, Warren looks like he's about to start setting things on fire."

I nodded and left the room without another word, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment and self-directed anger. Even if they couldn't hear me, I felt the need to apologize to the two people I could have harmed with my foolish little stunt.

_I'm sorry I doubted you, girls._

Warren was leaning against the lockers when I found him, looking worried and flustered. He was quick to wrap me in his arms when I reached him; I apologized and he told me there was nothing to apologize for. Will met my eyes when we made it to the bus, smiling knowingly at me. I dipped my head in acknowledgement, feeling a little sick when I thought of how close I came to making a huge mess of things.

Never again would I consider doing something like that.

"Dude, stop worrying, you'll go grey." Magenta teased, winking at me.

I rolled my eyes and turned my face into Warren's chest, feeling it rumble against my ear as he hummed. My brows furrowed as I tried to decipher the tune, smiling when I realized what it was, what he was telling me.

_It just takes some time  
__Little girl you're in the middle of the ride  
__Everything, everything'll be just fine  
__Everything, eveything'll be alright._

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_**  
BWA: So there you have it. Jamie came very close to doing something ridiculously stupid.  
Will: Wouldn't be the first time.  
Jamie: -Glares- I learned it all from you, brother.  
Emmett: -Grins- BURN!  
BWA: Just out of curiosity, what do you think may have happened if Jamie touched the crystal?  
Will: I can't believe Jamie is trying to paint again. Did you know that she attempted to paint a boat out at sea a few weeks back?  
BWA: Yeah. You hung it up in my room.  
Will: Can you honestly say that it's a boat?  
Emmett: I thought it was a banana.  
Warren: -Tries not to laugh-  
BWA: -Smiles- Okay, okay. Leave your sister alone.  
Jamie: -Pokes Will's arm- I'm not the one who farted in the middle of P.E!  
Will: -Grumbles- I had beans for lunch.  
Warren: Oh, I remember that. Everyone left the gym because it smelled so bad.  
Will: I hate you all.  
BWA: Aw, okay kiddies, be nice. -Claps Will on the shoulder-  
Jamie: Reviews are love  
Emmett: And we love you!  
Will: So leave us some love?  
Warren: And don't forget to check the blog on Teaser Tuesday!  
BWA: -Sings the theme song to Best Ed- **


	7. The Sun Comes Shining Through

**BWA: -Hides under the desk- Do you think they're mad at me?  
Emmett: Why would they be?  
BWA: The update is a day late.  
Jamie: -Smiles- I don't think they're going to turn up outside with torches and pitchforks demanding we turn you over just yet.  
Will: Jamie's right, I bet there's no one outside. -Peeks out the window and quickly closes the curtains to hide the angry mob- Uh... yeah. No one.  
BWA: You really think so?  
Warren: Of course, now come on out.  
BWA: -Slowly emerges from under the desk-  
Emmett: -Smiles- Hey there, little one.  
BWA: Hey. -Clears throat- Okay, um... First of all, I apologize for this chapter being a little late. Real life got in the way. -Waves a hand dismissively- Oh, and I forgot to mention that the song at the end of the last chapter was "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World.  
Emmett: Do they know what's in this chapter?  
BWA: -Laughs- No. I was just about to tell them.  
Emmett: Oh. Please continue. -Gestures wildly-  
BWA: Well, this chapter consists of Jamie and Will's seventeenth birthday.  
Warren: -Looks at Jamie and Will- Do you actually know who was born first?  
Jamie: -Frowns- I have no idea, actually. All I know is that Will used to chew on the crib bars.  
BWA: -Giggles- Well, we've made you wait long enough for this chapter. We won't waste anymore of your time.  
Emmett: -Throws confetti- **

**Disclaimer: Sky High is the property of some huge company that I'm secretly trying to take over. -Smiles innocently- I know what's mine. **

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_**Chapter Seven  
The Sun Comes Shining Through **_

Silence greeted me when I woke up on the morning of my seventeenth birthday and I did my best to ignore the sting that set in. I couldn't help but wonder if they remembered my birthday, or if they were thinking of me, wherever they had gone to.

Will's bedroom was empty when I passed it on my way to the shower; I could hear his voice downstairs and I couldn't help but feel nervous to go down there. This wasn't the same as last year, in so many ways.

Showered and dressed, I walked slowly down the stairs, my hands pressed against my stomach to calm the butterflies that were going nuts in there. What was wrong with me? This was my family that I was scared to see.

They were all gathered in the kitchen, talking animatedly while mum cooked waffles. Michelle and Warren were there, laughing at a joke dad had just told. Seeing them all so happy made me want to turn back, run up to my room and cry; my emotions weren't going to fit today. I was mopey. You weren't supposed to be mopey on your birthday.

Nonetheless, I stepped forward and into view, smiling as best I could. Mum stopped what she was doing and wrapped me in her arms.

"Happy Birthday, my beautiful baby girl," she cooed, pinching my cheeks for effect.

"Thanks, mum," I mumbled, smiling sadly.

"Come on, sweetie," she soothed in a whisper, kissing my forehead. "Today is supposed to be a happy day. No need for tears." I didn't realize said tears were falling until she wiped one away.

"Move over and let me hug my little rascal," dad interrupted, chuckling. He pulled me into his arms and I could feel the faint pressure he used to embrace me. "Happy birthday, runt."

I laughed weakly, trying to pull myself away from the depressing feelings swirling about in my stomach. I had to be happy today, if not for myself then for Will.

"Seventeen," he mumbled, stepping away to hold me at arms length. "Can you believe it's been seventeen years since your mother was lying on that hospital bed –"

"_Dad_," Will complained, dropping his head into his hands. "Come on, we're about to eat. Save the gory details for later."

"Sorry," he replied with a wicked smile. He turned back to me and pinched my nose before handing me over to my brother.

"Look at us," he said, getting off his chair. "Another year older. Wait a minute," his eyes widened and he reached up to touch my head. "Is that a grey hair I see?"

"Speaking of which, is your hairline receding?" I asked, relaxing around my brother. "Oh, wait, I see a wrinkle!"

Mum laughed behind us, the sound coated in relief.

Michelle made her way over to me, kissing both my cheeks before pulling me close; she wished me a happy birthday before heading over to the fridge to get the ice cream.

Warren stood away from the group, leaning against the wall with a soft smile on his face. I exhaled smoothly and stepped towards him, he cleared the space between us and pulled me against his chest. I kissed him through his shirt, right above his heart. He smiled into my hair, kissing me on the top of the head.

"Happy Birthday, baby," he murmured, swaying us from side to side.

"Thanks," I whispered, squeezing my arms around his torso.

Eventually, we got around to eating breakfast, Will and I throwing snarky comments back and forth while the others laughed. Mum had made a fantastic breakfast of waffles with maple syrup, ice cream and a side of strawberries.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat when it got to the presents; we were just having a small get together today, not like last year. Our friends had other plans, so it was just us and the Peace's. Dad got me a black leather jacket for whenever I rode the Ducati. Warren's eyes lit up when he saw me put it on, and I rolled mine in response. Mum gave both Will and I a joint present; Guitar Hero for the Xbox, which was one of the only games we didn't have.

Michelle gave me another painting, smaller than the one she gave me last year. This one was of Proxy Falls at the Willamette National Forest in Oregon. It was breathtaking and I was quick to thank her for it, she knew how much I loved her work and I was delighted to add another painting to my slowly growing collection.

I gave Will the Top Gear box set and he gave me two books I'd been dying to get as well as a few band t-shirts. That's what I loved about the two of us; we weren't big on the grand gestures. Simple was good for us.

Once again, Warren was saving his present for another time and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the knowledge. While the Paramore concert last year had been amazing, I sincerely hoped he hadn't done something along those lines again.

We spent majority of the day playing Guitar Hero. Will and Warren got caught in some kind of battle of the guys, so Michelle and I went upstairs to hang up my new painting while mum and dad cheered for their respective teams downstairs at the Guitar Hero battle arena.

"Thank you so much for this, Michelle," I said as we stood back and admired our handiwork. The new painting was situated above my desk, right by my large photo frame that Will had given me last year, the ridiculous photo from Spring Break reflecting back at me.

"Psh, it was nothing. I remembered it as one of your favourite nature shots and thought you might like it painted."

"No, I don't like it."

She turned to me and raised her eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Yes, really," I replied, smirking. "I love it!"

Rolling her eyes, Michelle Peace gave a very unlady-like snort and hugged me around the waist. "You're a hoot, Jamie Stronghold."

"Why, thank you."

We walked downstairs, hand in hand, giggling like fools as we discussed my earlier attempts at painting. Reaching the lounge room, we saw Will doing some weird kind of victory dance while Warren watched him with crossed arms and a cheeky smile.

I raised an eyebrow when he met my eyes, "Did my brother just beat you?"

He scoffed, rolling his chocolate orbs, "I let him win."

"That's a load of crap and you know it, Hothead," Will shot back, playfully punching Warren in the stomach. "I beat you fair and square. No one stands a chance against my mad skills."

"Except for me," I replied. "Since I posses the ability to kick your ass at everything."

"You wish, dear sister of mine. For it is _I _that let _you_ win."

Warren snorted, "Did you read her Shakespeare collection by any chance?"

I sighed at the mention of my older books, suddenly having the urge to go and re-read _Dracula. _I loved that book.

"Don't even think about it, Jamie," Warren laughed, seeing the longing in my expression. "I have plans for the rest of the day; I need you away from your books for a few hours."

"Damn it," I groaned, smirking.

We eventually got around to watching the first Top Gear disk that I got Will. He and Warren got into several arguments about which car was better, while I almost slipped in my own spit after they showed an Aston Martin Vanquish.

An hour and a half and one episode later, Warren glanced out the window before getting up off the couch, pulling me with him. "Well, I'd say it's around about the time that I need to give Jamie her present. We'll be back in a few hours, don't wait up."

"We won't," Will laughed, moving to turn the Xbox on again.

"Have fun, kids!" Mum shouted as Warren led me from the room.

I followed him out the door and down the path to his motorbike with a confused expression. "Are you going to tell me where we're going?" He handed me my helmet with a raised eyebrow. "Obviously not." I didn't bring my riding jacket since it was still rather warm out. Warren didn't seem to mind.

"On you get," Warren encouraged after he settled onto the seat. I smiled at him and swung my leg over the bike, cuddling up against his back after brushing a few locks of hair off my face from underneath the helmet. "Off we go."

He kicked away from the curb and revved the engine, groaning in deep satisfaction as the bike snarled beneath us. I now shared his love for motorbikes after that day on the trail. I shivered lightly, feeling goose bumps rise on my skin as we took off down the street.

I leaned my head against his back, watching the houses whip past us as we raced towards our destination. Wrapping my arms around his torso, I found myself getting repeatedly distracted by the flex of his abdominal muscles under my hands as he steered the bike. His stomach clenched whenever he turned a corner, his strong form leaning to the side. He curved slightly whenever he kicked the bike up a gear, aiming for more speed; and whenever we slowed, he would lean back against me, trying to get as close to me as he could. I shifted in my seat while we waited at a set of lights, trying to calm my body down from feeling him move and flex under my fingertips.

"You okay back there, baby?" he asked as we waited for the light to turn green.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I called over the soft growl of the engine. "Are we almost there?"

I could hear the smile in his voice when he answered me, "Yes. Not too far now, hang in there, beautiful. It's well worth the wait."

I squeezed my arms tight around him, closing my eyes and smiling brightly. I was excited for his surprise, if not a little nervous.

After another ten minutes of racing through Maxville, we reached our destination, coming to a stop in a parking lot by the beach. I got off the bike and removed my helmet, putting it down on the seat once Warren was standing beside me.

"Why are we here?" I asked, looking over his shoulder at the beautiful shades of the sky; I hadn't realized just how fast the day was going. It was probably about two in the afternoon by now.

Warren chuckled and my gaze shifted back to his face. "Always so eager," he smiled and leaned in to kiss my forehead. "Come on."

He took my hand and led me down toward the sand. I pulled my shoes off as soon as we were close enough, holding them in my free hand as we walked. We conversed as we made our way to goodness knows where, reminiscing about my birthday last year and how different the scenery was. While the concert had been loud and adrenaline fuelled, this was calmer and quieter. Peaceful and breathtaking.

"Are we there yet?" I asked, grinning up at him.

He pursed his lips, fighting a smile, "It's a few more steps away, but because you're nagging me and being an adorable pain in the butt…" he trailed off, pulling my back against his chest and slapping his hands over my eyes.

"Hey!" I giggled, wriggling. "That's not fair!"

"Tough," he chuckled, kissing the back of my head. "Now, walk forward, I won't let you trip."

"Yes you will," I teased. "That's the only reason you brought me here, to see me face plant in the sand."

"I'm offended, Jamie," he replied, his voice filled with mock hurt. "I deserve a kiss for that."

"Show me where we are and I'll kiss you," I told him when we stopped walking.

He bent down and pushed my hair over one shoulder so that I could feel his warm breath on my neck. I leaned back against him, my eyes fluttering closed under his hands, my eyelashes tickling his palms. His lips grazed the curve of my ear as he spoke, "Deal," he murmured over the sounds of the gently crashing waves. "Happy Birthday."

His hands dropped from my face and I took a moment before opening my eyes, focusing on the set up in front of me. When I realized what he had done for me, I brought a hand up to cover my mouth as tears threatened to gather in my eyes.

A soft white blanket was spread out on the golden sand, a wicker basket in one of the corners and a few pillows scattered around in the remaining space. We were in a secluded part of the beach, the blanket set up underneath the shade of a large palm tree. There were no other people around, they were so much farther down the beach that I couldn't even hear them. We had curved around from the main beach, in a peaceful area so perfect that I never wanted to leave.

"Do you like it?" Warren asked when I had been silent for a few minutes.

I turned to face him, pressing my hands against his cheeks and stretching up so that I could lean my forehead against his. He sighed and stroked my nose with his. "I love it, it's so perfect. Thank you so much." His eyes fluttered closed and a smile danced on his lips; his arms wrapped around my hips and he pulled me tight against his chest, his bare arms warm against my sides. "I believe I owe you a kiss," I whispered, moving to wrap my arms around his neck.

"Oh, really?"

"Yep," I replied, pulling him down so that I could press my lips to his.

He responded immediately, his lips parting under mine. I felt his arms tighten around me and I sighed into his mouth, feeling his tongue glide along my bottom lip before he bit down on it, tugging gently. We both groaned when our tongues touched, sliding together as our bodies pressed closer, desperate for absolutely no space between us.

When we pulled away to breathe, Warren cupped my face in his hands, brushing his thumbs against my flushed cheeks. I smiled up at him, feeling the warm sunlight wrapping around us. "I love you," I breathed, threading my fingers into his hair, feeling the soft strands slip over my skin.

"I love you," he replied, kissing me softly once more before stepping back to take my hands. "Feel like sitting down?"

I laughed but nodded nonetheless, following him over to the blanket. "So, who helped you with this?"

"Well," he trailed off, sitting down and pulling me with him. "You know how the others said they had plans for today?" I nodded, raising my eyebrows at him. "This is what they were doing."

"You're kidding!" I cried, cuddling against his side. "Well, aren't you just Mr. Sneaky." He snorted as I traced patterns on his stomach through his shirt, feeling the hard muscle beneath. "You know, you've become quite the romantic."

"Don't tell anyone, though," he joked, wrapping an arm around me. "I'll lose my man card."

I rolled my eyes before looking out towards the water, watching as small waves broke against the sand. We were about fifteen metres from the waters edge, in a perfect spot.

My stomach rumbled after a few moments of silence and Warren chuckled, reaching for the wicker basket, "Sounds like someone's got the munchies," he teased, placing the basket in front of us.

I laughed and punched him gently in the side, "What's in the basket?"

"The cure for your grumbly stomach," he told me, leaning down to kiss the tip of my nose. "Let's have a look inside, shall we?"

I watched as he pulled out chips, sandwiches, chocolate, fruit, dip and a few bottles of water, placing them on the blanket and leaning back on his hands. "Ta da!" he cried enthusiastically, making me laugh.

"I was beginning to think you'd borrowed that basket from Mary Poppins," I teased, reaching for a chicken and salad sandwich. "You just kept pulling things out."

He grinned and grabbed a sandwich and a bottle of water, pulling me tight against him as he attempted to eat with one hand. He did very well, only dropping food on himself twice.

After we had eaten, we lay back on the blanket, wrapped up in each other. I had my head on Warren's chest, my fingers dancing over his stomach, sneaking under his shirt. We spoke about anything and everything and then we spoke about nothing at all, simply laying together, stealing kisses every now and again.

At one point, I drifted off to sleep, waking only to the sound of Warren's gentle voice in my ear. I groaned in protest but arched my back, working out all the kinks before opening my eyes to gaze up at him.

"What's up, doc?" I teased quietly, smiling.

He smiled back at me, brushing a few locks of hair away from my eyes, "I thought you might like to watch the sunset with me and have some chocolate. It's the only thing we didn't get around to eating."

"It's sunset?" I asked, sitting up to rub at my eyes. Sure enough, the sky was painted in soft tones. Orange, yellow, pink, lavender and blue. "Wow. How long was I asleep for?"

"A few hours, I think," he replied, sitting up beside me. "I dozed off for a little while, as well. I was very comfortable."

"No kidding," I said, reaching for a nearby bottle of water and taking a long pull. Warren rummaged around for the chocolate, chuckling to himself when he found it.

"What's so funny?" I asked, leaning against him.

"The chocolate's all melted," he complained, opening the foil packaging to reveal a big glob of sweet smelling goo.

"So?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "Just because it's melted doesn't mean you can't eat it."

His brows furrowed and I smirked at him, swiping my finger through the melted chocolate before raising my finger to his lips. A smile twitched at his lips before they parted, giving me just enough space to slide my finger through. I gasped when I felt his tongue wrap around the end of my finger, his teeth clamping down on my skin as he sucked the chocolate off. He watched as my eyes fluttered closed and my head fell back. Warren chuckled darkly before dragging his teeth along my finger, curling his tongue around it again and again before releasing it with a small _pop._

"You're right," he murmured as I tried to calm my racing heart. I opened my eyes so that I could see his face. "You _can _eat chocolate even though it's melted." I noticed that his cheeks were slightly flushed, his chest heaving gently as he gasped for breath in time with me.

"I think it's only fair that I try some," I whispered, moving to straddle his hips. He grabbed my waist with one hand and used the other to prop himself up while I swiped my finger through the chocolate once more. "Tip your head back."

He closed his eyes and did as I instructed, revealing the smooth column of his neck, his tanned skin looking warm and inviting in the light of the sunset. I leaned forward and dragged my finger along his jaw line before dropping it onto his neck, leaving a trail of sticky chocolate on his skin. I sucked the last of it from the tip of my finger, tasting Warren's unique flavour on my skin. He groaned deeply and I peeked up at him, he was watching me from the corner of his eye, his jaw clenched.

I winked at him as I shifted slightly in his lap, enjoying his tortured groan before I leaned in and touched my tongue to his neck. He groaned again as I did.

Heaven.

The smoky, salty taste of his skin made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end and I shuddered as I dragged my tongue along his skin, wiping the chocolate clean off his neck before moving up to his jaw. I could feel the tense muscle under my tongue as I closed my lips over the angular muscle of his jaw, sucking the chocolate off.

"God, what are you _doing _to me?" Warren gasped, clutching desperately at my hip with the hand he wasn't using to keep himself upright.

I chuckled against his skin, scraping my teeth along his flesh before gliding my tongue over the spot to soothe it. His chest rumbled as a moan escaped his lips and before I could prepare myself he rolled us over and pressed my body into the blanket, his hips settling against mine as he lay between my parted legs.

His pleasure darkened eyes sparkled with mischief when they met mine and I grinned up at him, snaking my hands under his shirt so that I could drag my nails down his back. His eyes closed and he hissed, pressing his hips forward; I gasped, my head falling back as my skin erupted with goose bumps.

Two seventeen year olds on a secluded beach with melted chocolate was a deadly mix.

In the back of my mind, I found myself hoping that no one walked in on our little escapade.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I felt Warren's burning hands slide under my shirt, lifting it off my stomach and bunching it under my chest. He grinned at me before moving down my body, dragging his lips over my exposed skin before reaching for the chocolate and dipping two fingers in.

"You wouldn't," I gasped, my body trembling in anticipation. _Please, god please prove me wrong._

"I would," he replied before touching his fingers to my bare stomach and tracing patterns on my skin with the chocolate.

_Yes! Oh, don't stop…_

The moment his lips replaced his fingers it felt as though my body was in sensory overload. I tossed my head back against one of the surrounding pillows, wrapping my legs around Warren's hips and arching away from the ground, pressing my skin firmly against his lips.

"Settle down, baby," he crooned, gently pushing my torso back onto the blanket. "I want to savour this."

I whimpered in frustration and reached down to fist my hands in his hair. His tongue touched the skin of my stomach and I tugged on his hair, shifting beneath him. He licked the chocolate off my stomach with aching slowness, his fingers stroking my hips as I wriggled and writhed my way through his delicious torture.

Even when the chocolate was gone from my skin, he didn't stop. He bit at my flesh as he brushed his lips across my stomach; back and forth, over and over again.

"Please," I whispered, unsure of what I was pleading for. "God, Warren… _please._"

He looked up at me through his lashes, his lips still on my skin and I groaned at the sight. He chuckled once before slipping his tongue into my bellybutton, holding my body still as it jerked at the sensation. It seemed as though, now that I was seventeen, he was being a bit more adventurous. Never before had we done something like this, and it was driving us both insane.

"We're almost out of chocolate," he mused as he slithered back up my body, not bothering to fix my shirt. "Where to use the last of it?" He took my face in his hands and brushed his thumbs against my cheeks, his lips pursed. Slowly, he dropped his hands from my cheeks and trailed them down my neck, stopping just above my chest. The tank top I wore revealed an amount of skin that he seemed happy with. "Perfect."

Even though I was nothing but a wriggling mess, I managed to raise an eyebrow at him. He merely winked at me and scooped the last of the chocolate from the foil and drew patterns on my chest with it, exhaling shakily at my breathy whimper.

"Patience, baby. I'll have my lips on your skin again in a moment."

God, he had never spoken to me like this before. What had gotten into us?

When he was done drawing patterns, he put his chocolate covered fingers into his mouth and sucked them clean while I squeezed my eyes shut and arched towards him. I heard him hum tonelessly as he gently pressed me back onto the blanket and leaned over me, waiting until I opened my eyes before his lips touched my skin.

"_Oh!_" I gasped as his tongue began to clean the chocolate off my neck and the top of my chest. There hadn't been much chocolate left so there wasn't much for him to taste, but he didn't take his lips off my skin. Once he was done around my chest he moved up to my neck, flicking his tongue against my pulse point before moving to the spot behind my ear.

"Oh god…" I managed as his teeth scraped along the sensitive skin, his tongue quickly swiping out to soothe the slight sting before he sucked the skin into his mouth. I clawed at his back as he sucked hard on my skin for a few moments before letting go, smiling at me as the skin behind my ear tingled and burned, it was far from unpleasant. When the skin went numb I realized what he had done.

Warren had given me a hickey.

"You're such a dude," I chuckled, trying to calm myself down. That small gesture brought us back down from our lust induced actions and I was able to think again.

"Hey, that's _my _mark on your skin, quit complaining," he teased, leaning down to pepper kisses on my cheeks.

"I never said I was complaining now, did I?" I shot back in a whisper. "Now, I don't know about you, but I definitely need to cool off after that."

Warren smiled so brightly at me that the beauty of it rivalled that of the setting sun. I smiled back at him and sat up, taking his hands and pulling him up off the ground. He raised an eyebrow at me as I fixed my shirt and I laughed, tugging on his hands and leading him down to the water. Thankfully we were both wearing shorts today so we didn't have to worry about getting our clothes wet.

"Race you to the edge?" I asked as we began to stroll away from our little picnic area.

"Oh, you're on," he replied, smirking. "Ready… set…"

"Go!" I cried, breaking into a sprint as he did. I propelled my body forward, keeping up with Warren as we ran through the soft sand. We reached the waves at the same time, laughing as we tried to catch our breath.

"Are you actually going to go in?" he asked, watching as I danced with the water, stepping back as it lurched forward, and then following it as it withdrew from the shore.

"In a minute," I replied distractedly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Either you go in now or I throw you in, my sexy chocolate covered, motorbike riding goddess."

I looked up at him with wide eyes before breaking out into giddy laughter. "That's quite a mouthful," I teased, stepping away as he moved towards me. "Oh, you were serious, weren't you?" He nodded and I squealed before turning and racing away from him.

We played about at the waters edge until the sun was just peeking over the horizon, painting the world in shades of orange and lavender. Warren and I stood with our feet in the water, wrapped up in each others arms as we watched the sun say its last farewell of the day.

"How are you holding up?" Warren asked, brushing his lips against my shoulder.

"I'm okay," I whispered, leaning back against his chest. "It was weird from the moment I woke up today. But, I'm slowly getting used to the silence in my head. I'm not saying I like it, but I'm adjusting."

He was silent for a moment, his arms tightening around my stomach. "I want you to do something for me, okay?"

"Anything," I replied softly, leaning my head against his shoulder as he stood up straight.

"Don't give up on the girls, or yourself," I raised my eyebrows, not expecting him to say that. "Don't give in and convince yourself that they're not coming back. They need you to trust them and to do that you must also trust yourself. You have a choice in what to believe, in what to do and how to act. My mother taught me that." We both cringed at the memories of the horrific fight and all the nightmares that had found us the previous year. "No matter what happens in life, you always have a choice. Never forget that, baby."

I knew that if I said anything right now I would cry, so I simply turned my face into his neck and kissed his skin.

"I have something for you," he said once the sun had disappeared.

"You do?" I asked, surprised. "I thought this was my present." I waved my hand out to indicate that I meant this trip to the beach.

"It's part of your present," he chuckled, turning to pull me back to the blanket. He knelt down and rummaged around, gently pulling a wrapped object from somewhere or other. It looked like a giant 2D semi-circle and I raised my eyebrows in confusion. "Trust me," he soothed, handing me the gift.

I carefully unwrapped the strangely shaped object, realizing that it had been folded in half once the paper fell away. I stretched it out and gasped, tears springing to my eyes.

"You told me that the thing you missed the most was flying; they may not get you off the ground, but it's the closest thing I could find to help you feel like an angel again."

In my hands was a set of life size butterfly wings, soft to the touch and shaped with wire under the material. They were a soft white in colour with gentle patterns in gold and black.

"Oh, Warren…" I sniffed, my voice cracking as I became overwhelmed with emotion. "It's beautiful, thank you."

"Do you want to put them on?" he asked, stepping toward me. I looked up at him and smiled through my tears, handing him the wings so that he could help me put them on. He moved so that he was standing behind me and very slowly slid the elastic over my arms so that it held tight over my shoulders. Once the straps were on he shifted the wings until they sat just right and then stepped away. "Perfect."

I tipped my head back and inhaled steadily. I could feel the wings pressing against my back; they didn't move when I turned to face Warren, promising to hold steady no matter what movement I made. I closed my eyes as Warren's warm fingers brushed my tears away, holding his face in my hands as he bent down to kiss me. Our lips caressed as we stood there on the shore, wrapped in each others arms.

"I love you, my angel," he whispered when we broke apart, our foreheads pressed together.

"I love you," I breathed, holding him as close as I could.

Now that the sun had disappeared, we decided that it was time to head back home. Warren told me not to worry about packing up, for someone would take care of that for us. I shook my head with a smile, knowing that he had anticipated my concern about putting everything away.

I looked at the motorbike with worried eyes when we reached it, unsure about my wings.

"Leave them on," he told me, taking my face in his hands and kissing my softly. "I'm going to show you how to fly while you're still on the ground."

I smiled in anticipation, putting my helmet on and swinging my leg over the bike, settling in behind Warren before he kicked the machine to life and took off out of the parking lot.

The moment the wind started I realized what he had been talking about. The air that rushed around us as we moved caught in my wings and made them flutter. It was almost dark out so I couldn't see my surroundings very well, except for a few lights that we passed. When we went round a corner we leaned just like I would when I made a mid-air turn.

I was flying while I was still on the ground.

Overwhelmed by everything that he had done for me today, tears filled my eyes and spilled over my cheeks. I was happy, sad and in love all at once. Closing my eyes, I leaned my head against Warren's back and simply concentrated on his soothing warmth and the reassuring flutter of my wings against my back as they caught the wind.

Everyone noticed the change in my attitude when we got home; they looked at my wings but paid them no mind and it occurred to me that they probably already knew about them. I was happy, confident and refreshed, all thanks to Warren.

We stayed home for dinner, sitting around the table and laughing, talking and just _being_. Warren and Michelle stayed late, and even after Michelle left, Warren stayed. My parents knew that he planned to stay the night so they didn't say a word, merely watched us leave the room with smiles on their faces after we said goodnight. Will and I had embraced, joking quietly as I relaxed in his arms. I was going to be okay, and he knew it.

I was somewhat reluctant to take my wings off so that I could shower and then go to sleep, but Warren soothed me with the knowledge that I would be able to put them on again when we got home from school tomorrow. I smiled at him and left the room to go and shower.

When I was washed and dressed for bed, we curled up under my blanket, our limbs tangled and our foreheads touching.

"Thank you for today," I whispered, touching my fingertips to his cheek. "For everything."

"You're more than welcome, Jamie," he replied with a soft smile. "It was the least I could do."

"You're too good to me," I told him, leaning in to kiss him soundly. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'll never be without me, sweet thing," he said. "I promise."

I smiled and kissed him again before tucking my head into the crook of his neck. His arms wrapped tight around me and he kissed my hair as we both relaxed, slowly wandering into the world of dreams.

Before I faded into unconsciousness, I thought back on Warren's words from today.

"_No matter what happens in life, you always have a choice. Never forget that, baby."_

I exhaled smoothly and pressed myself closer to his body. I had made a choice concerning the two of us; I had made a choice about what I wanted.

Now all I needed to do was bring it up with him.

Smiling to myself, I pressed my lips to the warm skin over his heart, whispered my love for him, and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Emmett: Can you imagine if some happy little family stumbled across those two rolling about in the sand?  
Jamie: -Blushes-  
Warren: We would have scarred them for life.  
Emmett: I'd pay to see that, dude.  
BWA: -Laughs- Who else needs a moment after that scene?  
Jamie: -Raises hand-  
Will: So THAT'S where the chocolate went. Freaking hell. I was going insane looking for it.  
Warren: Your mum showed me where she keeps her stash of sweets.  
Will: WHAT? No freaking way!  
Jamie: -Giggles-  
BWA: So, what did you think? Like it? Want to verse Will and Warren in Guitar Hero?  
Will: -Strums air guitar-  
Jamie: -Stares at her brother- My apologies. He doesn't get out much. -Shakes head sadly-  
Emmett: -Grins-  
BWA: Oh! Since the last update, I've joined Twitter. The link to my little hangout is on my profile. Why not follow me?  
Warren: Reviews are love!  
Will: And we love you!  
Jamie: So leave us some love?  
Emmett: And don't forget to check the blog on Teaser Tuesday!  
BWA: And while you're at it, come say hi to me on Twitter!  
Will: -Puts hands on hips and glares at Warren- So... where are my butterfly wings?  
Warren: -Stares-  
Emmett: -Cracks up laughing- **


	8. Just Me And You

**BWA: -Hums innocently-  
Emmett: -Raises eyebrow at BWA and nudges Warren- What's up with her?  
Warren: I have no idea, but I'm nervous all of a sudden.  
Jamie: I bet she knows something we don't.  
Will: She always knows something we don't.  
Jamie: Yeah.. but this seems like something big.  
BWA: -Mind goes straight to the gutter-  
Emmett: -Laughs at BWA's expression- You're such a retard.  
BWA: -Smiles proudly-  
Warren: You're not going to tell us what you know, are you?  
BWA: No way.  
Jamie: Damn it.  
BWA: -Grins- Anyway, before we leave you to read, I thought I'd mention that this chapter touches on something that you've all been waiting for since this series started.  
Warren: Do you mean...?  
BWA: -Looks away-  
Warren: Tell me, damn it!  
Emmett: -Starts laughing-  
Jamie: He's not very patient. He's kinda like Will when the lunch line is moving slow.  
Will: -Pats stomach absentmindedly-**

**Disclaimer: I know what's mine... and my mind has just gone blank.  
**

_**

* * *

**_

**_Chapter Eight  
Just Me And You _**

My attitude had improved phenomenally since my birthday; I was in higher spirits and was more open with my friends and family. I spoke about my problems when they asked me to, and I wore my wings whenever I could.

I had finally taken Will's advice.

I was living.

As far as telling Warren about my big decision, I was struggling to find the right time. I wasn't sure how to bring up a subject such as this one. I needed the use the right words and be in the right situation to get him to understand. Anyway, whenever I thought about it, butterflies started going spastic in my stomach.

School was a wonderful distraction from those thoughts. Principal Powers had given us the run down on exam times; the theory exams would start mid May – thankfully it was only early May at the moment – and the physical exams would start a week after that. So, because school finished in early June, everyone was knuckling down to try and cram as much knowledge into their heads as possible.

"Ugh," I groaned, dropping my head into my hands during a lesson of Mad Science. "I don't think my brain has any space left for all this crap."

Warren chuckled and pressed his hand against my back, his fingers stroking gently against my clothed skin. Goose bumps appeared on my arms and my heartbeat accelerated as those secret thoughts popped into my head, momentarily distracting me.

"What's up?" he asked, watching as my cheeks began to darken.

"Nothing," I replied quickly, unconvincingly. "Just tired."

Worst. Lie. Ever.

"Uh huh," he muttered, smirking at me. "And your brothers' mind rivals that of a super computer."

I smiled to myself, looking back to the board and the notes that were getting longer and longer by the minute. My hand ached just thinking about writing all that down.

When the lesson finished, I walked out into the hallway cradling my arm against my chest, trying to sooth the ache. When Medulla makes you cram, he makes you cram hard.

"You're such a baby," Warren teased, taking my hand and pulling it to his lips. "But you're my baby." My stomach fluttered as his lips grazed over my knuckles and I smiled. "You know we need to study again tonight, right?"

"Oh, no way, dude," I whined, twining my fingers with his. "I'm not studying any more today."

"Wimp."

"Shut your pie hole, Hot Head."

He smirked.

I saw Alex in the cafeteria during lunch; she was just wandering around, catching up with some of her old friends. Nonetheless, she looked over at me when I felt Warren's fingers stroke my thigh through my shorts. She raised an eyebrow at me and I blushed, biting down on my bottom lip when I realized what she must have heard in my head.

_Don't even start, _I told her through my thoughts.

She grinned and looked away for a few minutes before her head whipped back towards me, her eyes wide and her lips parted. I tensed and my heart began to race.

_What? What is it? Is something wrong?_

She shook her head at me, mouthing "everything's fine" before going back to her conversation.

What the hell was that all about?

"Baby, are you okay?"

I looked up at Warren who was watching me with concerned eyes before glancing over at our friends and my brother. I smiled reassuringly at them before I spoke, "It's nothing. Alex just looked at me funny. I wasn't sure if she heard something in my head or what, something must have taken her by surprise."

The look on her face remained in my thoughts for the rest of the day, moving to the forefront when I caught up to her after school.

"Hey, Jamie," she greeted, her brows furrowing as she scanned through my thoughts.

_What's on your mind, mind reader? _I asked her.

She smiled brightly, "There was a small change in your thoughts today," she told me.

My eyes widened in surprise. I hadn't been expecting that. "Really?"

"Yeah, it was just a tiny little difference. But hey, it's something."

I nodded, momentarily distracted by that piece of information. I knew it was nothing to get excited about, but it gave me hope, and that was enough. "Thanks."

She dipped her head in acknowledgement before her smile turned into a deep smirk. "So, um… what's causing your mind to go into the gutter every five minutes?"

"Oh god," I breathed, looking up at her with wide, embarrassed eyes. "I _knew _you heard that! Damn it!"

She laughed and put her hands on my shoulders. "Why are you so scared to tell him?"

"I don't know," I mumbled, shuffling awkwardly. "How the hell do you bring that up? What if he's completely disgusted by it?"

"You don't see yourself properly, do you?" she asked, shaking her head. "If you saw yourself through his eyes… wow. He wants you, Jamie, there's no doubt about it. So seriously, don't be scared to tell him that you want him, too. This is a big step, but he'll understand. Besides, he may have been having similar thoughts as well."

"Are you serious?" I asked, unable to hide my shocked laughter.

She winked at me and tapped her forehead, "I'll never tell, now go on, the others are waiting for you."

I rolled my eyes at her, but turned and made my way back to my friends. Warren was leaning against the concrete railing by the steps when I made it outside. I smiled brightly at him, stepping into his warm embrace. I slipped my hands under his shirt, pressing them against his back, feeling the muscles move under my tentative fingertips.

"You sure took your time," he teased, kissing my temple and nuzzling his nose into my hair.

"I got caught up," I replied, reaching out to take his hand. "Ready to head home?"

"Yeah," he said, twining his fingers with mine as we started to walk down the steps. "I have to work tonight." he smiled at the mopey look on my face. "It's a five til nine shift so leave your window open."

"I always leave my window open," I told him with a soft smile. "I'll play against Will on Guitar Hero until you get home."

He laughed, "Leave him in the dust."

As we made our way home on the bus, I wondered whether or not I should tell the others about the news I got from Alex. I didn't want to give them any false hope, and it could have been triggered by anything, there's no evidence to say that it was either of the girls. If it was, then surely I would have heard it. Right?

Warren came inside with us and said a quick hello to my parents before he had to head back to his place and change for work. Mum made him stay for a quick bite to eat, whipping up a sandwich in record time. I sat on the bench beside him while he ate, running my fingers through his hair and tracing the contours of his face when he looked at me.

I walked outside with him when he finally got around to leaving. When the front door closed behind us he pushed me gently against the wall, leaning his body against mine, letting me feel the pleasant warmth of his skin.

"You're making it very hard for me to leave," he muttered, running his nose along the soft line of my jaw.

"I'm not doing anything," I replied, pressing my hands against his neck.

He smiled as his lips brushed against mine, "That's just it, you don't have to do anything. You're beautiful and perfect and I love you just the way you are."

"Softy," I teased and he smirked at me just before our lips met.

It took a little longer than we first planned for him to actually leave for work, but when he did I went up against my brother in Guitar Hero for a good hour, as promised. Michelle dropped in not too long after we decided to give it a rest since my fingers were starting to hurt; he called me weak and I tackled him over the back of the couch. That was around about when she walked in the front door.

"Whoa, whoa, you two!" she cried over our laughter. "Break it up; don't go smashing up your mothers' living room."

"He started it!" I complained, poking my head over the back of the couch before Will locked his arm around my neck and rubbed his knuckle against my hair.

"Give in!" he cried, grinning down at me. "Come on, sis, give in!"

"Okay, okay!" I wailed through my giggles. "For the first and only time, I give!"

"Success!" he shouted, letting me go and doing some weird little victory dance. "I _knew _I'd beat you one day!"

"Yeah," I scoffed with a playful roll of my eyes. "All you had to do was wait for me to lose my powers… dork."

"Prom queen," he shot back, flipping me the bird.

"Excuse me?" I said, stretching up to my full height. He grinned back at me. "Do you want to go again?"

"Bring it on."

"Enough!" Michelle cried, waving her hands around as I went to lunge for my brother once again. "Why don't you take five and have something to eat, huh?"

Will looked over at our second mother with a bright gleam in his eye, completely distracted. "Yes, please. Could you – oof!"

"Jamie!" She scolded, shaking her head at me as I leaped at my brother again, tackling him to the floor. "You just don't give up do you?"

When she managed to break us up, we followed her into the kitchen, pushing and shoving each other as we teased and joked. Thankfully, she managed to help us avoid another round of play fighting.

"One would think that you two would mature a bit, being seventeen," she mused as she bustled about in the kitchen, greeting our parents when they got home from work.

"Pfft, are you kidding?" Will laughed, knocking his shoulder against mine. "We're still learning the ways of the moron."

"Actually, Will, I think that's just you."

"You're asking for it, dude," He warned as mum came in and kissed the tops of our heads before engaging in conversation with Michelle.

"And you're asking for another ass whooping."

"Um, who just won that fight out there?"

"You two were fighting?" dad asked, walking into the room.

"He started it," I claimed, whipping my arm up to point at Will; I almost poked him in the eye.

"Are you kidding me? You launched me over the back of the chair!"

"I caught you by surprise, too. Admit it, I'm good."

"Alright, give it a rest," Dad chuckled. "Will, do you mind helping me out back?"

"Sure," he replied, ruffling my hair before he followed dad out the door.

"Oh! I left my paints in the car," Michelle gasped, slapping herself on the forehead. "I think we might be able to finish your painting today, Jamie."

"Really?"

She nodded before leaving the room to go and get her supplies.

"You've got something on your mind," mum said as she grabbed a carton of juice from the fridge.

"Is it that obvious?" I asked, running a hand through my hair.

"Jamie, please. You're my daughter; I can tell when your thoughts are elsewhere," she smiled warmly at me. "Is it about Warren?"

"You're good," I told her with a soft smirk.

"It's all a part of being a mother, sweetheart," she said. "So, what is it?"

It was one thing to think about the situation I was in, but to talk about it made my cheeks turn redder than a tomato. "I um… I wanted to ask… I mean, I thought he might… damn it."

"Ah," she sighed, catching on. "I wondered when this would come up."

"You did?" I whined, pressing my palms against my flaming cheeks.

"What did I miss?" Michelle asked, re-entering the room.

"Jamie wants to j-"

"Don't!" I cried. "Please, don't."

"Jamie wants to…" she scrunched her nose up as she thought. "Jamie wants to join a club?" Mum shook her head. "Jam with someone?" my mother then raised her eyebrow, indicating that she was getting closer. "Oh! Jamie wants to jump my son!"

"Bingo," she muttered and I dropped my head onto the counter, ignoring the loud _thump _it made. You put these two women in the same room and they turned back into giggling teenagers.

"Could this get any worse?" I groaned, trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Honestly, sweetie, I don't see why you're making such a big deal out of this," mum said with an understanding smile.

"You don't? You're my mother for Pete's sake! And you're my boyfriend's mother!" I cried, pointing at her and then Michelle. "You don't need to know that I want… no, I'm not even going to say it."

"It's perfectly natural –"

"Don't even start."

"Well, when a man and a woman love each other very much, they start –"

"Shut up!"

"Just make sure you're safe."

"Oh, for the love of all that is holy, shut up! Whether or not I sleep with Warren is between him and me!"

Realizing what I had said, I slapped a hand over my mouth to muffle my shocked laughter. Mum and Michelle watched me with wide grins on their faces.

"Why, Jamie… there's no need to be so crass."

I squeezed my eyes shut as my laughter grew in strength.

It wasn't too long before the three of us had tears streaming down our faces. We eventually got around to making something to eat, and thankfully, the embarrassing topic was never touched again.

By the time Warren crawled in through my window that night, I was still awake, reading through _Dracula _since I hadn't had the time to do it lately. The moment I locked eyes with him I had to bite my lip to avoid giggling as I was reminded of my embarrassment after he left for work.

"What are you still doing up?" he asked, peeling off his shirt before crawling into bed with me. He always changed into his pyjama pants before he came over.

"I wasn't tired, so I thought I'd re-read a personal favourite," I waved the book in his face with a smile.

"Well, I'm here now, and you need sleep. So it's time to let the vampires snuggle up in their coffins for some well deserved rest."

"Not all vampires sleep in coffins you know," I told him as I put the book down on my bed side table. "In fact, there are some vampires that don't sleep at all."

"You're such a nerd," he chuckled, pulling me against his chest and hitching my leg over his hips. I sighed when I felt his warm skin against the top of my thigh.

"I resent that," I replied quietly, starting to feel drowsy around his comforting warmth. "I'm actually very lazy."

"Yeah, and you're also rambling right now, baby. Go to sleep."

I made a small noise in response and kissed the skin above his heart before cuddling up to him and willing my body to relax so that I could sleep.

* * *

_Well you treat me just like another stranger  
__Well it's nice to meet you sir  
__I guess I'll go  
__I best be on my way out  
__Ignorance is your new best friend  
__Ignorance is your new best friend_

I sang along to the music that was blasting through my stereo speakers as I danced around my room. I had tried to study, but found that I was a little too jittery, so I thought I'd release some pent up energy with a good spastic dance session.

I even did the ridiculous air guitar thing when it got to the solo.

When the song finished, I flopped back on my bed and put a hand on my chest, feeling my heart race under my skin. I turned the volume down and looked towards the door as a soft knock came from the other side.

"Yeah?"

The door cracked open and mum peeked her head in before her body followed. She was wearing her outfit.

"Off to save the world again?" I asked with a smile, gesturing to her costume.

She nodded and walked over to me, bending down to kiss my forehead, "We probably won't be home until tomorrow afternoon. Michelle will come over and check on you at some point, okay?"

"No worries," I told her, sitting up so that I could wrap my arms around her. "Be safe," I whispered, my usual words when they went somewhere for more than a few hours.

"And you stay out of trouble," she replied tenderly. Her usual response. "Love you."

"Love you, too," I smiled at her, waving slightly as she left the room.

Saturday's were the usual study day for me now that theory exams were a week and a half away. I had to cram and cram hard, as much as I didn't want to. Warren was working again and wouldn't be over until late. Will was spending the night at Layla's so it was just me home tonight.

And tonight, I was going to tell Warren what I wanted.

That was the main cause of my jitters. I couldn't concentrate because my thoughts kept drifting to how I was going to word this, it was driving me insane. I wasn't one to over think on a regular basis, but I was freaking out over this when it wasn't necessary to freak.

Surrendering, I grabbed one of my text books and turned the volume up on my stereo, throwing myself into my study. My brain protested, but I soldiered on.

Will called out at some point to let me know he was going to Layla's and then Warren called me on his break to let me know that he was finishing early and would be over in about an hour. I glanced at the clock after I hung up, seeing the numbers 6:15pm flashing back at me. Wow… I crammed hard enough that I lost track of time.

Knowing that Warren would soon be here, I found myself jittery again and I scolded myself as I reached under my bed for my guitar case. Carefully unzipping it, I pulled out my glossy acoustic guitar, my baby. I had gotten this thing years ago and it was still in pristine condition. I hadn't really had the chance to play lately, so I took a good ten minutes to re-tune it.

That's how he found me, sitting cross-legged on my bed in the early moonlight, strumming absentmindedly on my guitar and humming a tune to a song that I had just been listening to.

"Hey, beautiful," he said softly, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "You're playing again?"

I dipped my head, still strumming, "It's been a while, huh?"

"That's for damn sure," he replied, still quiet. "Will you play something for me?"

I felt my lips twitch up into a smile as a song popped into my head, "Sure."

He fell silent as I picked up on the tune and started playing. After a few beats my voice joined the music.

_You're the direction I follow  
__To get home  
__When I feel like I can't go on  
__You tell me to go  
__And it's like I can't feel a thing  
__Without you around  
__And don't mind me if I get weak in the knees 'cause you  
__Have that effect on me  
_

_You do_

I looked away from the strings and met his eyes, seeing his loving smile and tender eyes before I started singing again, not looking away from his face.

_Everything you say  
__Every time we kiss I can't think straight  
__But I'm okay  
__And I can't think of anybody else  
__Who I hate to miss  
__As much as I hate missing you_

"Jamie…" he whispered, reaching out to brush his fingers down my cheek. It had been so long since he had heard me sing like this; it was a special moment for both of us.

_Months going strong now  
__And no goodbye  
__Unconditional, unoriginal  
__Always by my side  
__Meant to be together  
__Meant for no one but each other  
__You love me I love you harder  
__So…_

_Everything you say  
__Every time we kiss I can't think straight  
__But I'm okay  
__And I can't think of anybody else  
__Who I hate to miss  
__As much as I hate missing you_

I smiled up at him as the tone changed, my fingers brushing against the strings in different motions.

_So please  
__Give me your hand  
__So please  
__Give a lesson on how to steal  
__Steal a heart  
__As fast you stole mine  
__As you stole mine_

I heard him release a steady breath and I closed my eyes as I strummed harder for a moment before launching back into the chorus.

_Oh, and everything you say  
__Every time we kiss I can't think straight  
__But I'm okay  
__And I can't think of anybody else  
__Who I hate to miss  
__As much as I hate missing you_

_So please  
__Give me your hand  
__So please  
__Just take my hand_

We fell into silence as the song ended, my fingers stilling over the strings and my voice trailing off. Warren watched me with his soft eyes as he reached out, holding his hand out for me to take. I smiled at him and put my guitar back in its case before I put my hand in his.

"That was so beautiful," he whispered as he crawled towards me, laying me down on the bed and settling his body over mine. "You don't know how wonderful it was to hear you sing again."

"I'm turning you into a sap," I mumbled, stroking my thumbs against his cheeks.

He smiled, leaning his head into my palm, "I love you, Jamie Stronghold."

"I love you, Warren Peace."

He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against mine before he craned his neck and pressed his lips against mine, softly parting them and sliding his tongue into my mouth. I pulled him closer as I whimpered into his mouth, locking my legs around his waist. Our kisses remained gentle and slow, but our bodies struggled to get closer, desperate for as little space as possible.

Warren groaned against my lips before he sat up, pulling me with him and onto his lap. Our lips broke apart and we sat there for a little while, nose-to-nose, just staring into each others eyes. Chocolate and the ocean. I smiled at the memories from that day.

He leaned in and closed his lips over mine once more, his burning hands slipping under my shirt and gliding gently over my skin. I released a soft sigh into his mouth, squeezing my thighs against his hips as we drowned in each other.

"I can't get close enough," he whispered after a while and the desperation in his voice surprised me. "I can never get close enough. I always want to touch you, to hold you. It kills me to be away from you."

I took a steady breath as I watched him. Right here in this room, with only the moons glow for company, our walls fell away. It was just us, two love-sick teenagers, desperate for each others touch.

It was now or never…

"Warren?" I breathed, running my fingers through his hair.

"Hmm?"

"There's something I want…"

"Name it," he whispered, stroking his nose against mine before leaning back so that he could take his shirt off. "Tell me what you want and you can have it."

I took another deep breath and slid my hands down to his chest, stroking his skin with my fingers. "You," I whispered as quietly as I could.

"You already have me," he replied, not understanding. "You'll always have me."

"I know that," I told him. "But that's not what I meant."

"Then what do you mean?" he asked, his chocolate eyes beginning to cloud with confusion. I kissed the tip of his nose.

"You," I began again. "I want _you._"

I saw understanding spark in his eyes and I quickly pulled his lips back to mine, suddenly terrified to hear what he had to say. I fell back onto the mattress, pulling him down with me. He didn't argue as his body settled over mine again, giving a soft sigh of satisfaction as I grabbed gently at his back, my fingers sliding over his skin.

"Jamie… baby," he muttered as our kiss broke. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

I nodded without thinking.

He raised an eyebrow at me and rolled us over, scooting up against my headboard and settling me on his lap. "How long have you wanted this?"

"Since my birthday," I replied quietly. "Warren, I love you and I want to be with you in every way I can… But I was terrified to run this by you."

"You were scared?" he asked, eyes wide. "What, did you think I wouldn't want to sleep with you?" He released a sharp breath when I nodded, dropping my eyes down to his chest. "Hey, look at me, baby," I shook my head, my eyes filling with tears.

"You're saying no?" I whispered.

"Not exactly… I'm saying… not yet."

I looked up at him as a tear fell down my cheek; his eyes softened and he brushed his fingers under my eyes. "Baby, you're not ready for this. It's a big step and I want to make sure that you'll have no regrets."

"I wouldn't regret something like this, ever," I told him, curling up against his chest.

"I know that," he soothed me, threading his fingers through my hair. "But I want you to wait until you're truly ready, until everything is good again, okay?" I nodded against his skin, realizing that he was right. I wasn't ready for this. I wanted to wait, just as he did.

"I'm sorry for springing this on you," I said, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.

"Don't apologize," he breathed, kissing the top of my head. "When you're ready… when we're _both _ready, I'll sleep with you. I want nothing more than to share that with you, sweet thing. But I think we both need a little more time."

I exhaled softly as I relaxed against him. Things were so simple with us. While most girls would have been sobbing and cranky from the rejection, I was cool with it because I understood. This didn't need to be an hour long conversation; we said what we needed to say and then we were done with it.

We sat like that for an immeasurable amount of time, talking in whispers and stealing kisses. Eventually I reached for my guitar again and Warren laughed at my clutter of books and notes from my earlier cram session. I whacked the back of his head as I settled on the mattress, my guitar in my lap.

"Any requests?" I asked as the time ticked closer and closer to midnight.

He shrugged, "You choose."

I smiled and let my fingers dance over the strings, filling the room with music. Warren smiled back at me as "Heartbeats" floated through the air around us, my eyes drifting closed as my voice joined the smooth notes of the guitar.

I sang for him until early morning.

* * *

**BWA: So there you go. The two of them finally agreed to sleep together. I never planned to have them "do the deed" in this story, but I wanted to build up to it for when it eventually comes. -Snorts- Sorry. Dirty mind.  
Emmett: -Shakes head-  
BWA: Oh, and before anyone asks. Warren is just as innocent as Jamie. He hasn't slept with anyone. I just thought I'd clear that up, because, when I was reading over it, he seemed so confident and all that. But really, he just knows how his girlfriend thinks. He wants this to be special for her and is only looking out for the two of them.  
Jamie: Aww. -Melts into a puddle on the floor-  
Warren: -Smiles proudly-  
BWA: Um.. where was I?  
Warren: You were talking about how sweet I am.  
BWA: -Rolls eyes- Someone's confident.  
Warren: Uhh, someone writes me that way.  
BWA: -Blushes- Shut up.  
Emmett: -Chuckles- We need a subject change.  
BWA: Good idea. Um, the songs I used in this chapter were "Ignorance" by Paramore. It sounds amazing live, by the way. The song that Jamie sings to Warren is "6 Months" by Hey Monday and then the song she begins to play after that is "Heartbeats" by Jose Gonzales.  
Emmett: Nice.  
BWA: Anyway, I think that's about it from us.. right?  
Jamie: Hey, where's Will?  
Emmett: Playing Xbox.  
Jamie: Oh.  
Will: -From the other room- Wooo! Burn, sucker, burn! Ha! That's right, kiss my ass, baby! I'm number one!  
Warren: Wow. He really gets into it.  
BWA: -Laughs- And on that note, I'd say it's time for us to go.  
Emmett: Reviews are love!  
Jamie: And we love you!  
Warren: So leave us some love?  
Will: -Shouts from the other room- And don't forget to check the blog on Teaser Tuesday!  
BWA: And while you're at it, why not come and say hi to me on Twitter?  
Warren: -Sighs- I didn't even get to cup a boob...  
Emmett: -Smirks- **


	9. Wings Wouldn't Help You

**BWA: So.. -twiddles thumbs- You guys come here often?  
Emmett: -Shrugs- Just every Saturday.  
BWA: Nice.. -nods absentmindedly- Nice.  
Warren: -Stares at a piece of bread in his hands-  
Will: Um.. what's he doing?  
Jamie: Trying to cook toast.  
BWA: How's it going so far?  
Jamie: -Shrugs- Not bad. He burnt the bread the first three times.  
Will: -Laughs-  
Warren: -Looks away from the bread and glares at Will-  
Will: -Holds hands up in surrender-  
BWA: -Grins- And that is how Warren got the name Hot Head.  
Emmett: -Chuckles-  
BWA: So, the response to the last chapter blew me away. I'm so glad you guys respect their decision to wait, even though they're both prone to impatience.  
Emmett: A little bit like your sister.  
BWA: -Laughs- Just a little. Oh, and before we let you lovely readers.. well... read, I have to give a quick shout-out to Miserlou. She's already accused me of going New Moon on her, and I warned her that I would go Eclipse on her, so here, I give her another warning. I'm about to go Twilight on you, baby!  
Emmett: Woo! -Flexes-  
BWA: -Shakes head-  
Warren: -Throws toast at Will- Success!**

**Disclaimer: I know what I own. **

_**

* * *

**_

**_Chapter Nine  
Wings Wouldn't Help You _**

"I think we should watch _Harry Potter_."

"Are you serious? Their powers are so weak compared to ours; I vote _Transformers._"

"Dude, what the heck is wrong with you? It's obvious that we should watch _Pirates of the Caribbean._"

Warren rolled his eyes and pulled me closer to his chest. It was our last weekend before exams started and the whole gang was over. We were in the middle of trying to choose a movie and in all honesty, we weren't getting anywhere fast.

I smiled up at him before wriggling out of his arms and walking over to the movie rack, plucking out a DVD and putting it in the player before anyone took notice. Their attention was diverted to the TV screen when the opening credits started rolling, the surround sound oozing from the speakers.

"What did you put in?" Magenta asked, leaning her head on Zach's shoulder.

"_Avatar,_" I replied, smiling brightly. I had become obsessed with this movie from the moment I saw it at the cinemas. It may go for almost three hours, but it's so worth it. Freaking amazing.

"See?" Warren began as I sat back down beside him, curling into his warm body. "And that is why I have the best girlfriend in the world; she knows how to shut you guys up."

"Ouch, dude," Ethan teased. "I'm hurt, you'd choose your girlfriend over us?"

"Hell yeah, he would," Maj shot back, laughing. "I'd choose Jamie over you guys."

"Burn!" I cried with a grin.

"Okay, shut up already," Will shushed dramatically. "The movie's starting."

And just like that, a room full of teenagers fell silent as we settled in to watch the movie.

By the time the end credits started rolling Layla was wiping tears from her eyes while Zach teased her about it. It was getting close to four in the afternoon and Warren and I had planned to go into the city so that I could get some new books and CDs. Jamie stuff, as Zach calls it.

"You ready to go, baby?" Warren asked when I stood up and stretched.

"Yeah, I'm good."

He smiled at me and stood. We said goodbye to the others before I grabbed my stuff and let him lead me outside. I brought my jacket this time because I hadn't used it yet. Warren grinned as I slipped my arms through the sleeves and put my helmet on.

"God, I stand by what I said the first time I saw you on this bike. You look like every guys wet dream," he said as I swung my leg over the bike and wrapped my arms around his torso. I laughed, shaking my head as he pulled away from the curb.

I had been thinking about getting a motorbike of my own sometime soon; then again, I wasn't sure whether or not to leave the motorbike riding to Warren. I brought it up with dad who said a car might be my present for my eighteenth, and if I wanted a bike I was more than welcome to get one.

Another thing concerning Warren was our conversation from a week or so back. We had agreed to sleep together but not until we were both ready to take that step. There was so much going on right now that it would take away from the moment. We needed things to be normal again before we made that leap.

But, now that we had admitted to wanting to sleep with each other, it was making things very difficult, especially when we were alone. Warren was more than eager for my shirt to come off every time were alone. I wasn't complaining, though. I loved the skin-on-skin contact. But that was it, while the tops came off, the bottoms stayed on.

I shivered back into the present, feeling my cheeks flush inside my helmet. Warren and I leaned to the side as we went around a corner, our bodies moving as one. I was getting really good at motorbike riding. I got Warren to take me to the old trail earlier in the week; we spent the entire afternoon there, riding through new trails and then tearing down the main one. I absolutely loved it.

Things with Alex had been much the same since that day. She would watch me with furrowed brows and pursed lips before her expression would smooth out and she smiled at me. Whenever I asked her about it she said that it was the same little things that gave her the hint that something was going on in my head, something I wasn't aware of.

It wasn't something to worry about right now, I guess.

As far as my painting goes, I got it finished and it was now hanging up on my wall along with all the other crap I have up there. I had two of Michelle's paintings and one Jamie Stronghold original. For my first try and a nature painting, I did pretty damn good. But nothing could compare with my wall-size painting above my bed of the stunning meadow Michelle had created for my sixteenth birthday. A year later and I still found myself dazzled by it.

It took a good twenty minutes, but we eventually made it into the city. Warren pulled into a motorbike park and cut the engine, pulling his helmet off and looking at me over his shoulder.

"You okay back there, baby?" he asked.

I nodded and pressed myself against his back before I took my helmet off and unzipped my jacket. I didn't take it off, merely left the zip down. Warren grinned at me when I got off the bike, taking my hand as we began to walk down the busy street.

"So, where to first?"

I pursed my lips. "The music store? I need to get some new guitar strings."

"The music store it is," he said before turning down another street.

We spent a while in that shop. It was almost sunset by the time we left. I had picked up my strings and a few new CDs; I even attempted to convince Warren to take up electric guitar.

"Why are you so insistent?" he asked as we left, my bag of purchases in the hand that wasn't wrapped around his.

"Because it would be sexy," I told him. "I mean, come on, a guy who rides motorbikes _and _plays electric guitar? It would be even harder for me not to jump your bones than it already is."

He grinned at me, pulling me tight against his side as we walked towards the local bookstore. We always joked about our decision to wait, realizing that it took away the seriousness if we poked fun at it.

On the way to the bookstore, Warren took a detour to the Ducati dealership, talking to the man who had sold him his bike. They spoke engines and all sorts of things while I wandered around, looking at different makes and models, trying to picture myself racing down the street on some of them.

"You're interested, aren't you?" he asked, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my stomach.

"You know I'm interested," I replied, leaning my head back against his shoulder. "I'm still unsure of whether to get one or not."

"We'll play it by ear, okay?" he said, smiling when I nodded. "Come on, the bookstore closes in an hour, and god knows that's how long we'll be there for."

"Watch it, _sweetie_," I teased in a sugary sweet voice, turning in his arms and sliding my hand into his back pocket. He chuckled when I squeezed his behind.

"I should bring you here more often," he grinned, shaking his head at me. "Thanks for everything, Jeremy," he said to the smiling employee as we left.

Warren was right; we ended up staying at the bookstore for quite a while. I skimmed through everything: crime, fantasy, non-fiction, horror, sci-fi, humour, eventually stopping at romance. I had gotten sidetracked by the vampire section, still thinking about the undead after finishing _Dracula _the day before.

I looked up when a group of guys a little bit older than I was walked into the shop. They didn't look like people who read, all scruffy and intimidating. I glanced over at Warren who was reading the back of a book not too far from me. He looked up and met my eyes, smiling softly before glancing towards the stores newest occupants. His eyes narrowed and he stood up straighter, watching them as they passed me, their eyes gliding from my feet back up to my face.

"Hey, good looking," one of them crooned, winking at me as they wandered towards the back of the store.

I shuddered uncomfortably and returned my attention back to the books in front of me. The boys never left, instead they watched me as I moved through the shop, ambling closer when I wasn't too far from them. Whenever I saw one move too close I stepped away, heading back to where Warren was.

By the time I had chosen and paid for my books it was dark outside. Warren's phone had rung while I was talking to the woman behind the front counter, discussing a new release book that I had purchased.

"That was mum," he told me when he hung up. "They wanted to know what we wanted for dinner. We decided on take-away, is that alright?"

"Yeah, it's fine. We should probably be heading home anyway." I chanced a look over my shoulder, seeing the boys still watching us, conversing amongst themselves.

Warren looked over my head before pulling me against his chest, "I'll go get the bike. Do you want me to meet you back here?"

"Actually, I think I'll walk to the end of the street," I whispered, wrapping my arms around his torso. "I want to ask the owner about a new order of books, anyway, so I might be a couple more minutes."

"Okay, baby," he muttered, bending down to kiss me softly; he took my bags from my hands. "Be careful walking by yourself, okay? I won't be long."

I nodded, kissing him once more before he left, jogging across the road and heading down the long street to get to his bike. It had been about a ten minute walk to get here from the Ducati dealership, so he'd probably be another fifteen minutes getting back.

Turning back to the owner, I put my name down to order another book before I left, my arms wrapped around my torso. The streets were still a little busy, but there wasn't as much hustle and bustle as there had been earlier in the day. Hearing laughter and crude comments from behind me, I peeked over my shoulder and felt my stomach muscles tighten when I saw the same group of boys following me down the street.

"Crap," I muttered, wondering whether or not to take my phone out of my pocket to call Warren. That would make it too obvious for the boys who obviously wanted something from me. I took a deep breath and turned down another street, opting to take the long way to the park where I had planned to wait for Warren.

"Hey, beautiful!" one of them called and I squeezed my eyes shut. "Where are you going all by yourself?"

I didn't answer, but I started walking a little faster. If I started running who knew if they'd give chase or not? I didn't want to risk it. Warren would be here soon.

"Come on, sweetheart, we won't hurt you. We just want to talk!"

I hesitated before turning down another street, not realizing until it was too late that I had turned into an alleyway.

"Damn it," I hissed under my breath, turning to see the boys block the only way out.

"Did you take a wrong turn, beautiful?" the first boy asked. I did a quick count, totalling up five bodies bathed in the light of the moon. I stepped backwards as they slowly stalked towards me.

"Bad things happen to pretty girls who get lost," another said, he was taller and burlier than the others. "What happened to your boyfriend?"

I stepped back again, not saying a word.

"Not very talkative, are you?"

"Leave me alone," I said quietly, unable to make my voice any stronger. I reached for my phone but the tall one shot out and grabbed my arm, his fingers overlapping around my wrist.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned. "You don't want to make this any worse on yourself. We'll just take what we want from you and go."

"What do you want from me?" I asked. "I don't have anything."

One of the other boys chuckled as they slowly grouped around me. "You have a body to die for, beautiful. We'd like to see what it looks like without all those clothes."

"Please don't," I managed to get out before I was shoved up against the brick wall. The tall boy pressed his body against mine, sliding his hands under my jacket while another tried to go for my jeans.

I tried to remember basic self defence and when I did I was quick to shove my knee into the boy's crotch, watching as he tumbled to the ground. I went to run but was quickly forced back against the wall by another who held fast onto my hips, his grip tightening so much that I cried out in pain.

"Don't scream," he warned and I noticed that the other boys had gone to stand at the entrance to the alleyway, another helping the fallen boy off the ground. "Bad things will happen if you scream."

I squeezed my eyes shut, my hands on the boys shoulders as I shoved with all my might. But I wasn't strong enough anymore. His cold hands slid under my shirt and I whimpered in protest. He had me pinned against the wall so that I couldn't move. I felt his heavy breathing in my ear as his teeth grazed my skin and I felt my eyes sting with tears.

When his hand came to rest on my thigh, I heard the most beautiful sound in the world, the familiar roar of Warren's Ducati growing louder and louder. He was close, probably cruising down the street, looking for me.

Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself and screamed so loud that my throat burned. I screamed until the boy pressed his fist against my stomach, pushing all the air out of my lungs.

Before he could make another move the motorbike swerved into the alleyway, the headlights shining around us. I heard Warren call my name and I sagged against the wall in relief, tears streaming down my face. The engine revved and he shot down the alley, skidding to a stop beside us.

He kept his helmet on but got off the bike and yanked the boy away from me, shoving him against the opposite side of the alleyway. I zipped my jacket up and grabbed my helmet, shoving it down on my head and getting on the back of the bike, watching as Warren's fist connected with the boys face, sending him toppling to the ground. He turned quickly and looked at me for a fleeting moment before he got on the motorbike and peeled out of the alley, racing out onto the main road.

I squeezed myself tight against his back, sobbing in my helmet. He was tense, angry, and when I looked over his shoulders I could see flames licking against his skin. I shuddered and squeezed my eyes closed, feeling the bike move beneath us and the sounds of the city growing softer and softer before disappearing altogether.

It wasn't long before Warren pulled over onto the side of the road. We were on a side street back in the suburban area, about ten minutes from home. We had stopped out the front of a park but I didn't have time to look around before Warren got off the bike and yanked his helmet off. His eyes were dark, panicked and absolutely murderous.

"Take your helmet off," he snarled, his hands shaking. I reached up and pulled the helmet off my head, setting it down on the seat in front of me. "Oh god, Jamie…" He reached out and pulled me off the bike, clutching me against his chest before he turned and pressed my back against a nearby tree. "Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay."

"I'm fine," I whispered, pressing my hands against his cheeks. "I'm fine, Warren. You got to me in time, they didn't get far."

"Where did he put his hands? Tell me where he put them, Jamie," he instructed, his voice cracking. He was terrified. I could see it in his eyes.

I exhaled steadily and put his hands on my hips before moving them under my shirt, over my stomach. He gasped and his head fell forward. I let go of his hands and coaxed his head into my hair, making his lips brush against the shell of my ear. He leaned his weight against me and I could hear the shakiness in his breathing.

"That's where his hands where, where _he _was. He didn't get any further," I told him soothingly, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Baby, please, calm down. It's okay now, I'm okay."

"If I had been a second longer… _no_!"

"Warren, please stop. Look at me, baby," I whispered, feeling tears roll down my cheeks when he lifted his head and met my eyes. His chocolate orbs were filled with tears threatening to overflow. "Kiss me, Warren," I told him. "Kiss me and make it better, take the bad memories away."

He sobbed brokenly before lurching forward and crushing his lips against mine. I parted my lips and let his tongue slide through, clutching him as close to my body as I could. His leg slid between mine and I wrapped my right leg around his waist, feeling the full length of his body settle against mine. I took his face in my hands, stroking my fingers against his cheeks as we kissed, his tears falling on my skin.

When we parted for air he kissed down my neck, his lips grazing against my pulse point before moving up to my ear, tenderly kissing my lobe before moving to the skin behind it.

"Oh god," I breathed, pulling him tighter against my body, sobbing desperately when I realized that we were as close as we could get. "Your hands," I whimpered, suddenly aching for reassurance. "I need your hands on my skin."

He lifted his head and kissed me again, his tongue sliding against mine as he pushed his hands under my shirt, his fingers stroking against my stomach. I felt his body shudder and then relax against mine. This was what we needed, we needed reassurance, we needed each other. Nothing more, nothing less.

Eventually our kisses slowed before they stopped altogether and we just stood there, breathing into each others mouths.

"You're okay?" he whispered, checking.

"I'm okay," I replied. "I love you."

"Oh god, Jamie, I love you. I love you more than anything."

"I know, baby, I know," I breathed, feeling his fingers ghost over the bruises on my wrists and my hips.

"They hurt you," he said softly. No longer afraid, he knew I was okay. It was behind us now. "If I ever see them again –"

"Don't think about it," I told him. "It's behind us, there's no need to dwell on it. Everything bad that has happened is behind us, we need to move on. It's okay, I'm right here. Can you feel me? I'm here in your arms, I'm safe with you. No one is going to hurt me when I'm with you."

"You're safe," he whispered before he kissed me again, softly this time. "I need to call your parents."

"Yeah," I muttered, tucking my head into the crook of his neck as he pulled his phone out and dialled my home number. He wrapped his free arm around my waist, pressing his cheek against the top of my head. "I love you."

"Josie?" he began and I knew that someone had picked up. "It's Warren. Yeah, we're not too far away. Look, Jamie got attacked while we were out." I flinched at the word he used, but there was no better explanation for it, I guess. "Don't worry, she's fine, just a little bruised. She got cornered in an alley while I went to get my bike. No, I got to her in time, they didn't get far. Yes, she's here with me." His arm tightened around my waist. "Yes, she probably needs to eat something. Just put it in the microwave, we'll be home in about ten minutes. Yeah. No, don't worry, she's fine. No broken bones, she's just a little shaken. Yeah, I'll let her know. Thanks, Josie. Bye."

"How did it go?" I asked as he put his phone back in his pocket and wrapped his arms around me.

"She freaked out a little, but she should be cool by the time we get there. She said that you need to eat something, she asked if you were going into shock."

"Typical mother," I sighed. "I think I got over my freak out while we were riding."

"So you're okay?" he asked, kissing my temple.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for getting me out of there."

"Trust me, it was my pleasure."

We stood there for a while longer, wrapped up in each others arms before we got back on the bike and left for home.

Mum was still freaking out a little bit when we arrived, her hands fluttering over my skin as she wrapped me in her arms. She sat me down at the kitchen table and put a plate full of burger and fries in front of me, raising her eyebrows when I laughed quietly at the expression on her face. Dad and Will managed to calm her down, saying I'm stronger than I look. Michelle held my hand while I told them the story and then urged me to eat. Will merely asked if I got any good hits in, but I could tell he was feeling protective.

It wasn't until I was getting ready for bed that it really sunk in.

Warren watched me as I peeled my clothes off, wearing nothing but my black boy shorts and one of his shirts. I caught a glimpse of my bruises as I pulled the shirt on, turning to Warren with wide eyes before I climbed onto the mattress and curled against him.

"That actually happened, didn't it?" I asked in a soft voice.

"I'm afraid so."

I took a moment to process that before I spoke again, "It reminded me of how vulnerable I am… how _human_. It shows just how much I relied on the girls," I paused. "I'd hate to think of what I would have been like had that happened the day after I lost them. At least now I have thicker skin."

He exhaled steadily and pulled me to his chest, pulling my leg up over his hip. "It's all over now, baby. We're okay."

I nodded and tried to relax, feeling his warm fingers brushing apologetically over my bruises.

_I miss you girls, _I thought to myself, letting my eyes flutter closed. _I hope you're safe._

_

* * *

_**  
BWA: Dun dun duuun! How was that for drama?  
Jamie: -Glares- I hate you.  
BWA: Oh come on, it wasn't that bad. I didn't let them hurt you.  
Jamie: -Grumbles-  
BWA: Someone's moody.  
Will: -Freaks out- Quick! Someone go and buy chocolate and tampons!  
BWA: ...  
Warren: -Tries not to laugh-  
Emmett: -Cackles like a maniac-  
Jamie: I'm not PMS'ing.  
Will: -Raises eyebrow-  
Jamie: I'm not!  
BWA: Okay, okay, step away from the touchy subject. In other news... what did you think? This was one of the first scenes I planned when coming up with this story. I wanted to show just how fragile and vulnerable Jamie is without the girls. I know, us human girls could easily defend ourselves, but look at it from Jamie's point of view. D and L are all she's ever known, she's never had to deal with trying to protect herself without them. But, as she said, best it happened now instead of just after they left. At least now she has thicker skin.  
Emmett: Jeez, ramble much?  
BWA: -Smiles- Alrighty, you guys know the drill!  
Warren: Reviews are love!  
Will: And we love you!  
Jamie: So leave us some love?  
Emmett: And don't forget to check the blog on Teaser Tuesday!  
BWA: And while you're at it, why not come and say hi to me on Twitter?  
Will: -Looks at Jamie- So.. you're not PMS'ing?  
Jamie: No!  
BWA: -Whacks the back of Will's head- **


	10. I Can Feel The Pressure

**BWA: -Stares blankly at her readers-  
Emmett: What's up?  
BWA: Nothing.  
Emmett: Uh..  
BWA: -Looks at Emmett with wide eyes- I'm serious, I can't think of anything to say. Good god, man, this is madness! -Shakes Emmett-  
Emmett: -Flails-  
BWA: -Clears throat and looks back at her readers- Sorry about that.  
Jamie: -Grins-  
BWA: Oh! I've got something! It's all good!  
Warren: -Laughs-  
Will: Dude, she's friggin' insane.  
BWA: -Glares at Will- Anyway, there's only one more chapter left before the Epilogue. Hold on tight, lovelies, we're on the home stretch!  
-Silence-  
Emmett: That's all you've got?  
BWA: -Smiles proudly- Yep. That's it.  
Jamie: -Facepalm-**

**Disclaimer: Since you're all mind readers like Alex, you know what I'm going to say. But I'll humor you. I know what I own.**

_**

* * *

**_

**_Chapter Ten  
I Can Feel The Pressure _**

It had taken a few days, but eventually everyone calmed down and moved on from my attack over the weekend. It could have happened to anyone. Unfortunately, I had been the one they chose that night.

The day after, I had simply sat around the house and relaxed with everyone, talking and laughing as I would any other day. They needed to know that I was alright, and I was relieved to see the change in their demeanour after that. They understood that I had let it go, that I was ready to move on.

As soon as that happened, it was straight back into studying for my friends and me. In the last few days we had before exams started, the seven of us could be found in our lounge room with books scattered all over the floor. I tried to go to bed at a decent hour so that I could be as rested as possible by the time exams rolled around.

It didn't work very well.

I had four exams altogether, Mad Science and Tactics on Wednesday and then English on Thursday. My final exam was for P.E, an exam that had been kept in the dark, no one really knew much about it, but we knew that it was the following Friday. A week before school finished for the year.

Mad Science was my first exam and I was completely freaking out. This was the exam I had studied for the most and I pleaded with my brain to cooperate and help me remember everything.

"Deep breaths, baby," Warren soothed as we waited for Medulla to let us in. "You're going to do just fine. I'll be right there in the room with you, and so will your brother. If we fail, at least we'll fail together."

"Encouraging," I teased with a roll of my eyes. But he had done his job and calmed me down.

Will bumped his fist against mine as the classroom door opened and we filed in. I was two seats away from both of them, since we had been assigned to single desks evenly spaced apart. Medulla used some freaky little stone that blocked psychic abilities from working so that no one could cheat by reading his mind. I smiled, thinking of Alex. She'd hate that.

The moment we got the all clear to start the exam, the only sounds in the room were people breathing and pencils scratching against paper. I took a deep breath and tried to concentrate, eventually lapsing into a state of mind that helped me calm down and get the test done. I managed to answer each of the assigned questions before time was called.

"Pencils down, everyone. Pencils down," Medulla called. "Well done, everybody. This was a difficult test and if I've taught you right you all should have done well. We shall see though, I suppose. Nonetheless, if you could wait until I've collected all the exam papers before you leave that would be greatly appreciated."

When we were let out, I breathed a huge sigh of relief, leaning against Warren when he reached me. "That was exhausting," I breathed, wiping fake sweat from my brow.

"Aw, man," Will complained as we headed outside to wait out the time between this exam and our next one. "I did so bad."

"I'm sure you did fine, Will," I soothed him, smiling brightly. I was feeling much better now that I had survived that exam. The other two theory exams would be a piece of cake.

"I have to disagree with you there, Jamie," Warren replied with a cheeky grin. "Whenever I looked over at him he was chewing on the end of his pencil."

"Yeah, and I've still got bits of rubber between my teeth," He grunted, picking at his teeth with his fingernail.

My brother was a smart kid, but for the most part… he was a bit of a bone-head.

"How're your bruises?" Warren asked as we headed to the cafeteria for lunch a while later. My injuries from that night were taking a bit longer to heal since I was missing a certain quick healing ability, but they had gone numb so I wasn't in any sort of discomfort.

"They're healing, I'm feeling good today. They're not bothering me at all," I replied, hugging myself against his side.

"Good," he sighed, kissing my temple.

Magenta and the other sidekicks had exams around the same time as us, so we were nothing but a table of whingers during our lunch break. Magenta had her head on the desk, complaining of exam-induced migraines while Zach chowed down on an apple.

"Apparently it's supposed to wake you up more than a cup of coffee," he told us when Will asked why he was suddenly being so healthy. "I need to wake up, dude, I almost fell asleep in that first exam."

"And no one wants to see that," Layla added. "The last time he fell asleep in class he started snoring and he drooled on the desk."

Sensing my reluctance to eat, Warren all but force fed me a chicken and salad wrap. I felt better with something in my stomach, my nerves easing since the worst of the theory exams was over.

My tactics exam went better than I had planned. I remembered the answer to each question, having studied them for weeks on end. We were allowed to go home once that exam was over so we were all quick to leave the classroom as soon as we were given the all clear.

"Feeling better?" Warren asked me as I slumped against him on the bus home. I was mentally drained and wanted nothing more than to curl up and rest. A soft grunt of approval was the only response he got and he chuckled when I pressed my face further into the crook of his neck.

It was much the same when we got home; we sprawled out in the lounge room and watched a movie. I didn't pay any attention to it, opting to rest along the length of Warren's body. I drifted in and out of consciousness for the next few hours. Mum woke me up when it was time for dinner and I was quick to doze off again after that. The last thing I remembered was Warren's arms wrapping around me as he carried me upstairs.

My English exam the following day went just as well as my tactics exam. I enjoyed English so the exam wasn't as much of a chore as the others. Like we had done yesterday, the moment the exam was over we headed home. Mum and dad were heading out to an open house by the time we walked in the front door so it was only a very quick conversation before we were alone again.

Will headed into the lounge room with Zach and Ethan to play Xbox while Magenta and Layla went out into the backyard to mess around with their powers. Layla was helping mum grow some new flowers in the garden, so whenever she was over she spent a good half hour out there tending to each flower in turn.

I cooked up some ravioli while the others kept themselves occupied, chatting with Warren as I boiled the pasta.

"How do you think you went?" I asked him as I turned the heat down to a simmer and started on the sauce.

"I think I did better than I thought I would," he replied, watching me move about the kitchen. "The Mad Science exam slaughtered me, though."

"No kidding," I laughed. "My head was so sore after that and my hands were aching. I'll be a very happy girl if I never have to take an exam like that again."

"Well, the theory exams are over, now there's just the…" he trailed off, realizing he'd touched on the subject I was most worried about.

"The physical exam," I finished. "Yeah, but who's to say that won't be worse?"

His brows furrowed before he stood and walked around the counter to wrap his arms around my stomach, pulling me back against his chest as I stirred the sauce a bit. "Baby, you don't know that…"

"And neither do you," I answered, turning and pressing my forehead against his neck. "I'm concerned about this, Warren. What if I can't take part in it because I have no powers?"

"I'm sure they would have let you know if that was the case," he soothed. "You're over thinking it, baby. You need to take a deep breath and calm down. Someone would have told you if you weren't able to take the exam, okay?"

I nodded, relaxing as I let all the air out of my lungs. "I'm sorry, that's been nagging me for days."

"It's okay," he whispered, kissing my hair. "I won't let them put you through anything you're not ready for."

I smiled, comforted by his words. But I could still feel the tension in my back; it had been days since I'd touched him and it was killing me. "Hey, after lunch… can we… spend some time together up in my room?"

"Of course," he murmured, rocking us gently. "Whatever you want."

"Thanks," I whispered. "I just… need to relax for a little while, get out of the exam mentality."

"I know exactly what you mean," he chuckled.

I called the others in once I had plated up lunch, laughing when they filed in one by one, swiping their bowls off the counter and gathering in the lounge room. Warren and I were quick to follow, settling in on one of the couches while Will flicked through the channels on the TV.

"So, do any of you guys have any more theory exams?" I asked, popping a bit of ravioli in my mouth and chewing happily.

"Um, we've got one last compilation exam," Zach replied. "It's mandatory for all junior sidekicks, but other than that, no."

"We have our physical exam next Thursday," Ethan added. "The day before yours."

"At least yours will be easier," Warren grumbled. "God knows what they're going to put us through."

"Boomer is ruthless when it comes to physical learning. I'm getting sore just thinking about it." Will shuddered before shovelling some of his food into his mouth.

I exhaled heavily and turned to bury my nose in Warren's hair. He tilted his head towards mine as the others started another conversation, oblivious to us floating around in our own little bubble.

"Don't think about it," Warren whispered, sensing my nervousness beginning to build. "You'll be fine."

I nodded and inhaled his comforting scent before trying to ease myself back into the conversation happening amongst my twin and our friends.

We stayed downstairs for an hour or so after we finished lunch, shifting from TV to Xbox in record time. Will and Zach started another Guitar Hero war, not hiding their shock when I decided to sit out. Warren had a round before announcing that he and I were going to head upstairs for a while. Wolf whistles and ridiculously masculine cheering followed us as we left the room and I rolled my eyes. We just kept getting weirder.

I leaned against my bedroom door after I closed it behind us, rubbing my hands over my face and releasing a large sigh. I could feel the electricity in the air between Warren and I, crackling and burning with the intensity that followed us. We hadn't been alone with nothing in our way for days and it was taking its toll on us.

Warren stepped closer and I dropped my hands away from my face, welcoming the steady warmth he always brought with him. His hands cupped my cheeks as he pressed the length of his body against mine, his eyes dark and excited.

"Jamie," he breathed, leaning down to kiss my cheeks, my eyelids, my forehead, my nose and my chin. His lips brushed over mine in a teasing almost kiss. "It feels like forever since I've touched you, kissed you like only I can."

"Uh huh," I whimpered, arching towards him. "Don't make me wait any longer."

He surrendered with a groan, capturing my lips in a rough kiss before he gathered me in his arms and shoved me back against the door. I wrapped my legs around his waist and plunged my hands into his hair, breathing heavily through my nose as our lips parted, tongues sliding together as soon as they were given the opportunity to do so.

Warren's body shuddered against mine as I dug my heels into his lower back, pushing his hips firmly against mine. A moan choked off against my lips as he wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, his other hand pressed against my hip. I broke away from his lips to catch my breath, my head thumping against the door as it fell back. My eyes fluttered closed as Warren's scorching hot lips grazed down my neck, his teeth nipping at my skin. The moment hit bit down on my neck I lurched away from the door and wrapped my body around his, knocking him back slightly with the force of my attack. He chuckled brokenly before stumbling back to the bed and sitting on the edge with me on his lap.

Sliding my hands under his shirt, I skimmed my fingers over the hard muscles of his abdomen, pulling his shirt off at the same time. When I reached the tops of his arms he raised them above his head so that I could pull the offending material off. I smiled slightly and bent forward, running my lips over the skin above his heart before grazing my teeth all the way up to his jaw. He groaned and pulled me closer before slipping his fingers under the hem of my shirt, his burning flesh tickling my spine. I arched toward him and mimicked his earlier movement, raising my arms above my head so that he could peel my shirt away from my body.

"Beautiful," he murmured before leaning in to kiss my shoulder.

I bit down on my bottom lip before I shoved him back onto the mattress, settling my body over his. He grinned at me before sucking my bottom lip into his mouth and rolling us over, groaning when I dragged my nails down his back. I felt his left hand skim down the side of my body, sliding over my hip and stopping mid-thigh, under the hem of my denim short-shorts.

"Do you mind?" he asked, his lips ghosting over mine.

"Not at all," I panted, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his as I arched my hips into his hand. I felt him smile into the kiss as he dropped his other hand and slowly pulled my short shorts down my legs, flinging them over his shoulder when they were off my skin.

When he settled over me again I couldn't contain my soft cry as I hooked my legs around his hips. I could feel the warmth of his skin against the tops of my thighs and I'd be lying if I said it didn't drive me insane. Warren groaned and sat up, pulling me onto his lap and winding his tongue around mine as I wrapped my body around his, desperate to touch him anywhere I could.

I could hear music downstairs and, as it usually did, my body began to move to the beat. Warren's head fell back, his lips parting and his eyes squeezing shut as my hips rolled over his in steady movements. His hands gripped the tops of my thighs, his fingers brushing against the light blue material between us.

"You're killing me here," he gasped, sliding one of his hands up my body, ghosting over my stomach before wrapping his arm around my back and pulling me flush against him. I smiled and pressed my face into his neck, kissing his warm skin as I continued to move.

He laughed breathlessly when he realized that I wasn't going to stop and quickly settled us back down on the mattress, his body covering mine as he kissed me sweetly. "You're the most dangerous creature I've ever met, Jamie Stronghold," he teased, running his nose along my jaw before nuzzling into my hair.

"Thanks," I breathed. "Why did you stop?" I asked, my fingers curling around his neck.

"Because if I didn't things would have gotten out of control very quickly," he muttered, pressing his hips into mine to better articulate the situation.

"_Oh_," I whispered, my eyes closing. "I see."

He chuckled before pulling away from my neck. My eyes opened and I smiled at him, leaning into his palm as he cupped my cheek. "I love you," he said softly, his eyes warm and mesmerizing.

"I love you," I replied before pulling him down for another kiss.

* * *

"I don't think I can do this."

I was sitting with mum and Michelle out the back on Thursday night the following week, trying to calm my nerves about my physical exam the next day. I had my head on mum's shoulder while Michelle held my hand, mum's fingers trailing through my hair.

"Sweetie, I wish you'd stop worrying," mum sighed, kissing my forehead.

"I can't _not _worry," I told her, squeezing my eyes shut. "I'm going to fail my final exam because I don't have my powers. It's a _physical _exam, probably involving the use of powers. How am I going to pass if I can't even meet the requirements?"

"Has anyone told you that you've recently developed a habit of over thinking?" Michelle asked, sliding her thumb over my knuckles.

"Yeah, your son. All the time."

She chuckled.

"I think you're underestimating yourself, Jamie," mum began. "You have other skills than the ones the girls gave you. You've got excellent reflexes and your stamina is very impressive. You're made for things like this, Jamie. You're quick, you're strong and you're incredibly determined. I don't see why you can't pass this test, with or without powers."

The sound of footsteps caught my attention and I looked over my shoulder to see dad walk out onto the back porch, walking around us and sitting on the step in front of me. "What are you three lovely ladies up to out here?"

"Trying to sooth our daughter," mum replied, ruffling dad's hair.

"Why does she need soothing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me. "You're not actually worried about tomorrow, are you?"

I looked down at my hand wrapped in Michelle's and nodded.

"Hey, look at me, kiddo," he said, hooking a finger under my chin so that I met his eyes. "Whether you pass or not, your mother and I will never stop loving you, understand?" I nodded again, still not reassured. "Besides, I don't see why you're freaking out about this exam. You're a Stronghold for Pete's sake! You'll pass with flying colours!" He gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up, grinning brightly.

Soothed by my parent's and Michelle's words, I smiled.

"There's my Jamie," dad chuckled, pinching my nose. "You'll be fine."

Those encouraging words, along with Warren's arms wrapped tight around me were what helped me relax enough to fall asleep, if only for a few hours. I was up by four in the morning, moving around the house as quietly as I could. Warren groaned when I wriggled out of his arms, a little crease appearing between his brows which I quickly smoothed with my thumb and kissed him on the forehead before I left the room to take a shower. I was sitting up against the headboard, washed and dressed for the day, by the time he woke up.

"Hey," he murmured groggily, rubbing at his eyes. "How come you're dressed already?"

"I didn't sleep very well so I decided to get ready a little earlier than normal," I told him, stroking his cheek with my fingertips. "Will's making some form of loud noise down in his room so he'll be getting up in a minute."

He smiled at me and sat up, wrapping an arm around my back so that he could tug me against his chest. He buried his face in my neck and I sighed, threading my fingers into his hair. "I'll be back in half an hour, okay?" he said against my skin.

"Okay," I whispered before leaning back to kiss him gently. "Now go get your butt nice and squeaky clean, we've got a big day today."

He raised his eyebrows at me, aware of the fact that I was trying to calm my nerves with humour. He didn't call me on it, he simply leaned in and kissed me again before getting up, stretching, letting me know he loved me, and slipping out my window.

I dropped my head into my hands when he disappeared from sight, running my fingers through my hair as I exhaled loudly into the empty room. "Okay, Jamie… you can do this. It's just an exam. Just get it over and done with so you don't have to worry about it again. Just because you don't have powers right now doesn't mean you can't pass. Yeah, you'll be fine."

I stayed there for a while longer, hearing the sounds from downstairs get louder and louder. Mum and dad were up, which meant mum would have been nagging Will to get in the shower about ten minutes ago. I took another deep breath, got up and crossed the room, opened the door and stopped in my tracks, eyes wide.

While I admit to the fact that my brother is an idiot, it's not very often that you see him racing down the hallway in his birthday suit, soaking wet.

"Dude, what the hell?" I cried through my sudden laughter.

"I forgot my towel!" he shouted back before disappearing into his room, the door slamming shut behind him.

Wow… what a weird start to the day.

Managing to overcome the initial shock of seeing my brother as naked as the day we were born, I wandered downstairs, greeting my parents with a nervous smile.

"I hope you're not worrying about this, sweetie," mum said with a soft chuckle, putting a glass of orange juice on the bench for me. "You'll be fine."

"Sorry," I muttered. "Just nerves."

"We understand," dad soothed, reaching out to put his hand on my shoulder. "Just don't get yourself all worked up, okay? It's not worth it."

"Thanks," I said through an exhale, willing my body to relax and for the nervous fluttering in my stomach to stop. By the time Will came downstairs I was munching on some toast. "Nice to see you with clothes on, brother," I teased.

"Can it, prom queen," he shot back.

"I don't know how you came up with that nickname, but I refuse to ask," I chuckled, taking another bite of my toast.

Will and I continued to toss playful insults back and forth before he started eating. Mum scolded him for talking with his mouth full. It was pretty gross.

When it was time for us to head off for the bus, mum got all mushy and kissed our cheeks, wishing us well while dad clapped us on the back. After one more reminder for me to not over think things, we were off.

Layla and Warren met up with us at the bus stop. Even though the sidekicks were finished with their exams they still came to school to watch the heroes finish theirs.

Warren grabbed my hand when we reached them, pulling me against his chest and burying his nose in my hair. I shuddered into his embrace, letting his soothing warmth wash over my body and melt my nerves away for a few short minutes.

"You okay?" he murmured into my hair, his strong arms encasing my body.

"Yeah, I'm good," I replied quietly. "Freaking out a little, though."

He hummed and let his lips brush against the shell of my ear. "Everything will be fine."

I sighed and leaned back, stretching up on my toes so that I could kiss him firmly. Every time we broke apart we would inhale quickly before letting our lips touch again. Ron actually had to beep the horn to get our attention when he pulled up. I blushed lightly when he laughed, following Warren onto the bus.

"Nothing like getting caught sucking face by the bus driver, huh?" Zach teased when we sat down.

"Shut up, glow stick."

By the time we got to school I felt like I was about to throw up. The tension in the air grew thicker and thicker the closer we got to the floating campus. Stepping off the bus, you could almost taste the nerves in the air. All the other junior heroes were fidgeting or trying to distract themselves from the exam we knew was coming as soon as the bell went.

"Stop it, Jamie," Warren whispered in my ear when I recoiled against his side. "No worrying."

Magenta sensed my distress and quickly pulled a packet of gummy worms out of her bag. "Want one, miss Nervous McStressPants?"

I raised an eyebrow at her but grabbed a sweet before Zach raced past and snatched the packet out of her hands, laughing when Will gave chase when he realized what our friendly neighbourhood glow stick was holding.

"See?" Warren began when we walked inside. "It's easy to relax."

I smiled slightly and hugged him closer as we walked. His arm wound tight around my waist and he watched as I looked around the hall; I wanted to find Alex and talk to her before my exam, but I wasn't sure where to find her.

_Um, Alex? If you're around, can you come and find me before the exam? I'm freaking out here._

I wasn't sure if she'd hear my thoughts, or if she was listening for them, but it was worth a shot.

The bell screeched moments later and I went rigid against Warren's side. I wasn't ready. I couldn't do this…

"Jamie?" Warren asked as the juniors made their way to the gym. "Baby, are you okay?"

I shook my head, feeling the wave of nerves and panic rise and wash over me, dragging me under. He took one look at my face and exhaled in a rush, pulling me to his chest as I shivered in his arms. He stroked my back, attempting to help me through my sudden terror.

"Jamie!"

I leaned away from Warren's embrace when a high voice reached my ears. Looking up, I saw Alex jogging down the hall towards us, her expression one of concern but her eyes full of excitement and… hope?

"What's wrong?" she asked when she reached us, her fingertips touching my shoulder. "You're not scared, are you?"

"Of course I'm scared," I replied quietly, all the worrying I had tried to keep in the back of my mind surging forward in one strong leap. "I can't do this…"

"Yes you can," she said, smiling brightly. "You _can,_ Jamie. I know it."

I sniffed and blinked rapidly to hold back my frightened tears. I leaned heavily against Warren's chest, feeling his warm arms tighten around my body. "I don't…" I trailed off and shook my head. "They can't actually expect me to pass with no powers, can they?"

Alex's eyes shimmered with excitement at my words. "Look, Jamie, I know this is the last thing you want to do right now. But… just go in and do the exam."

"But –"

"Please, Jamie," She pleaded, all but bouncing with her confusing excitement. "_Trust me_, you're ready for this."

"You really think so?" I asked, soothed by her words. If anyone had an idea of how things would turn out, it would be Alex.

"I know so," she said, a grin twitching at her lips. "You're ready."

I sighed and slumped against Warren in defeat, "I doubt I'd be able to weasel my way out of it anyway."

She laughed and winked at me, "If you two don't head in now you're going to be late. I'll be watching from the sidelines." She reached out and squeezed my shoulder. "You're ready," she said again before turning to follow the others into the gym.

My brows furrowed as she left. "What just happened?" I asked, shaking my head.

Warren chuckled and pressed his lips to my head, "I have no idea. That girl is a whirlwind of confusing, I swear."

"No kidding," I replied, surprised to find that I felt comforted and reassured by Alex's words. "Do you really think I can do this?" I tipped my head back to see his face. He was smiling lovingly down at me, his eyes shining with excitement and just a hint of nerves.

"I never had any doubts, baby," he said and leaned down to press his lips against mine. I sighed and parted my lips, welcoming the warmth. He smiled into the kiss and ran his tongue along my bottom lip before he pulled away and wrapped an arm solidly around my waist. "Ready?"

"Don't ask me," I whined. "I'll say no."

He chuckled and led me through the large double doors. The gym was set up exactly as it would be for a round of Save the Citizen. An oval shaped arena had been outlined with a barricade of glass and row after row of bleachers were set up against the far wall.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," he soothed as we made our way over to Will and our friends. My brother watched me with concerned, excited eyes, just as everyone else did. I smiled slightly, trying to reassure them. I sat down between Warren and Will, leaning against Warren's side. I reached out and squeezed my brother's shoulder before closing my eyes and attempting to relax.

I felt Warren kiss my hair before he pressed his cheek against the side of my head, his lips at my ear. I listened intently, hearing him hum a familiar tune; a soft smile graced my lips as he relaxed me with the gentle notes of "The Only Exception."

All too soon, Principal Powers captured our attention – with a little help from Boomer – and the gym fell silent. My heart began to race and Warren pressed his lips against my temple, whispering reassurances in my ear before quieting down to hear what the principal had to say.

"Good morning, juniors. I can imagine that you're all nervous about your exam today and curious to find out what exactly it is we're asking you to do. Boomer will explain in a moment. I just wanted to wish you all good luck, we're cheering for each and every one of you to pass with flying colours and I know you'll do us proud. Now, take a deep breath, relax and bask in the knowledge that this will all be over soon." She laughed quietly before stepping aside to let Boomer speak.

"For this exam, what we've done is matched each hero to a hero from our senior class. They have been assigned to show you what it may be like to battle a villain out in the real world. You will have a set time of ten minutes to beat your opponent. Your names will be called at random." He exhaled loudly and clapped once. "I wish you all the best of luck. Let's begin. Anna Smith, could you please make your way into the arena."

I took a deep breath and took Warren's free hand in mine, for his other was gripping my waist. He continued to sooth me in a low voice, his encompassing warmth enough to distract me from my fears.

We watched as each of the juniors were called up one by one for their exam. Boomer would tell them the name of their opponent and the power they had before setting the timer and letting the battle commence. It was really cool to watch, seeing two heroes go head to head, fighting with everything they had. Every power was different and the unique ways in which each hero used them was mesmerizing.

Will was paired with an earth mover by the name of Matt. The fight was intense and Will held his own, eventually claiming victory. He celebrated with a ridiculously loud cheer and a whole bunch of fist bumps and high-fives on his way back to his seat. He smiled brightly at me when he sat down.

When Warren's name was called his kissed my forehead before making his way down to the arena. He was paired with a boy called Jake who had control over anything liquid based. It was incredible to watch, two elements so completely different going up against each other. Warren found a way to evaporate the water before it could touch his flames, thereby winning when he rendered Jake immobile. I was entranced by the way he moved; his strikes were quick and precise, his movements strong and agile. I had never seen him move this way before and it left me breathless.

He wrapped me in his arms when he reached us, smiling into my hair when I congratulated him on his win.

As time went on my nerves grew more and more. Any moment they would call my name and I'd be forced to defend myself with no powers whatsoever. I still wasn't sure of whether I could pull this off, but Alex had asked me to trust her, saying that I was ready for this. I had to believe her.

There were only a handful of students left to partake in the exam and when Boomer called the next name I went rigid in my seat, aware of nothing more than Warren's warm touches against my skin.

"Jamie Stronghold, please make your way into the arena."

* * *

**BWA: Yes! It's time for the physical exam!  
Will: -Sings- Let's get physical, physical.  
Warren: -Stares-  
Emmett: -Hums along-  
Jamie: -Looks at BWA- Are we the only sane people here?  
Warren: Hey!  
BWA: I think so, sweetie. I think so.  
Jamie: -Nods sadly-  
BWA: So, how do you think Jamie will go? And what about the girls, are they ever going to come back? All will be revealed on the next episode of "WHEN HEROES ATTACK!"  
Jamie: I take it back, I'm the only sane one here.  
BWA: -Giggles- Oh, and before I forget, what did you think of the make-out scene? I had to give you guys a little somethin' somethin'.  
Will: -Keeps singing-  
Jamie: Alright, I'm cutting you all off from... whatever it is you're on. Time to go. Sign off, kids!  
Emmett: Reviews are love!  
Warren: And we love you!  
Will: So leave us some love?  
Jamie: And don't forget to check the blog on Teaser Tuesday!  
BWA: And while you're at it, why not come and say hi to me on Twitter?  
Jamie: There. Done. I'm outta here. -Walks away while everyone else continues to sing and dance- **


	11. Three Of A Kind

**Will: I've always wanted to mattress surf down a flight of stairs..  
Jamie: -Blinks- Oh boy. I'm so not taking the blame for that when you skid too far and crash through the door.  
BWA: -Snorts-  
Jamie: I remember when we went camping one year, Will bellyflopped onto his air mattress and it popped.  
Emmett: -Laughs-  
BWA: And now that we're back from our trip down memory lane.. and I just forgot the end of my sentence.  
Warren: You fail.  
BWA: -Glares-  
Warren: What? You do.  
BWA: -Sighs- Yeah, I know.  
Emmett: Aww.  
BWA: Anyway, this is the last chapter before the Epilogue. And if Miserlou's reaction is anything to go by, then you're gonna love this chapter. So on that note, we'll let you read. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own my characters and Will owns a burst air mattress. -Smirks- **

_**

* * *

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**_Chapter Eleven  
Three Of A Kind_**

_Oh no._

_Please tell me I imagined that._

_Please tell me Boomer didn't just call my name…_

_Oh no, no, no, no, no, no…_

My thoughts swirled about in my head, rushed and fearful as I turned to Warren with wide, panicked eyes. He smiled softly down at me and pressed his forehead against mine, his breath washed over my face and I immediately relaxed.

"You'll be fine. Don't over think it, baby. I'm right here."

I took a deep breath and leaned back, smiling weakly at him before I stood. Will grabbed my hand and I glanced down at him.

"You can do this, Jamie. Go kick some ass."

My lips twitched up into a more genuine smile and I willed my body to relax again as I made my way down towards the arena.

_It's just an exam, it's not the end of the world. Ten minutes and you're done. Come on, you can do this._

I looked up as I entered the arena, my eyes meeting Alex's; she was standing behind the glass barricades, smiling brightly at me. She knew something I didn't, and for some reason, it made a wave of fierce hope wash over me. With my sudden confidence, I straightened up and walked towards the middle of the arena to shake hands with the girl who was waiting for me. Her hair was a fiery red and her eyes a deep brown but she wore a friendly smile on her face.

"Jamie, this is Abby Jones. Abby, this is Jamie Stronghold." Boomer said, motioning to the both of us.

Abby reached out and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Good luck, Jamie. Unfortunately I'm not allowed to take it easy on you, but something tells me you'll do just fine."

I smiled at her, reassured by her words. "Thanks. So, what am I up against?"

"Abby has shadow control, it's quick and dangerous. With your stamina and agility, we thought she'd be a good match for you," Boomer explained, giving me an understanding smile.

Oh, so they were playing towards my human strengths, not my powers. That was good.

Boomer motioned for us to take our positions, watching as we walked to opposite sides of the arena. I widened my stance and leaned forward slightly, ready to sprint in any direction at a moments notice. Abby gave me one more gentle smile before her eyes closed, her head leaning slightly to the side as her arms stayed by her sides.

"You have ten minutes to immobilize your opponent. On my mark: ready, set… BATTLE!"

For a long moment, neither of us moved. The countdown began on the LED screen in the far corner of the arena, the flashing numbers meaning nothing now that I was in the right mindset. The room was completely silent and I could feel everyone's eyes on the two of us, waiting for someone to make the first move.

Abby's head moved slightly, and I saw her fingers twitch. That was the only indication I needed. I broke into a sprint seconds before her eyes snapped open and a wave of black fog rose up behind her. She lurched forward and it raced towards me. I barely managed to leap out of the way, hitting the ground with a loud _smack _and rolling back up. I felt the shadow wrap around my ankle before I was thrown onto the floor again. Even though the shadow was not a solid, it felt as though it was. It could grip onto me but I couldn't do any damage to it. I was at a loss here.

The shadow dragged me back with ease since there was nothing for me to grab onto. The light disappeared a moment later and I found myself encased by darkness; it was suffocating and I struggled to catch a breath. It grabbed at my arms and my legs, jerking me in all different directions. I struggled against it and managed to break free, leaping from the horrible darkness for only a moment before I was sucked back in.

I heard Boomer call out at the five minute mark. Five minutes had passed already? How long had I been trapped in here? My head began to spin and I fell to my knees, my body going cold. The shadow wrapped tighter around my body and I let out a low cry. I was losing.

And then suddenly, I was no longer alone inside my head.

'**Jeez, kid, get your lazy ass off the floor.'**

I froze, my eyes widening as a familiar voice rang in my ears. I didn't have time to grasp what was happening before my body went from cold to burning hot, my muscles coiling as I curled in on myself.

A powerful rush swept over my body and I could _feel _my strength returning, could _feel _all the empty spots being filled again. My left hip tingled but I paid it no mind as my body shuddered violently, welcoming back the two girls who had been gone far too long.

'**How much time do we have?'**

'_Four minutes.'_

'**Jamie, get up.'**

_What?_

'**Get up! Let us have some fun. You need to pass your exam after all.'**

Completely overwhelmed, I relaxed, feeling a tickle roll over my spine and I smiled at the feeling. My eyes closed for a moment and although the fog still surrounded me when they opened again, my body shone bright. My hair, snowy white, tumbled over my shoulders, my skin slightly paler and two large wings beating heavily against the shadows. There was more strength in them than before; I could feel the power behind each movement. I gave a loud cry of joy before pushing myself off the ground, my wings caught the air and propelled me up and out of the shadows.

Gasps and cries of shock greeted me when I broke free of the darkness. I inhaled steadily as I hovered up by the roof, smiling down at Abby's shocked face.

_Now what?_

'_Now we have some fun.'_

'**Woo hoo!'**

I cupped my hands in front of me and let them fill with L's familiar white flames. What I wasn't expecting what the overwhelming brightness that came with it and the strength of the flames in my hands. It had never been like that before. I could tell from the way this power was surging through my veins, one move and it would be over.

'_Light it up!' _L cried excitedly.

I grinned at her enthusiasm before I threw my arms out wide, launching the fire ball right into her cave of shadows. I watched as the flames pierced the darkness before encompassing it completely, exploding in a burst of blinding white light. I actually had to cover my eyes from the force behind it.

'_Fold them in.'_

My grin deepened as I leaned forward and tucked my wings against my sides, shooting down towards Abby like a bullet from a gun. My opponent grinned back at me before swinging her arms in front of her face and breaking into a sprint. My wings shot out, swooping my body upwards before it could hit the ground. Another wave of shadows hit me, pulling my wings tight against my body. I screamed in frustration as I fell to the ground, thrashing madly against the darkness.

'_Relax, Jamie. Relax and let your mind go blank. We can do this, there's something I want to try.'_

I exhaled and followed her instructions. Boomer's voice broke through the excited silence, letting us know that there was two minutes left. Relaxing, I brought my hands up to my chest and let this strange new intensity roll through me. The shadows continued to whip and bite against my skin but I paid them no mind, focusing only on the growing pressure I felt in my chest. I curled in on myself when it grew too strong for my body, too heavy for me to hold while standing.

_When can I let go?_

'_A few more seconds. Hold on…'_

I grit my teeth and breathed evenly through my nose, my body desperate to relieve the pressure. My wings beat impatiently against my back, needing to be free of the shadows.

_Please!_

'_Okay, now, now!'_

With a loud scream, I tore my hands away from my chest and threw my head back, the pressure cracking through my body and rippling out into the open. I saw nothing but a blinding brightness behind my closed eyelids and I could hear cries of shock from the audience we had. Suddenly the stings of the shadows were gone and when I opened my eyes there was nothing in the arena apart from a shocked and elated Abby.

'_Immobilize her, quick! You've got ten seconds left!'_

I shot up off the ground and launched myself into the air, moving too fast for Abby. She didn't have enough time to move before I landed behind her, grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her back, holding her wrists in my hands as I wrapped my wings around her.

"Time!" Boomer cried and I immediately let go, dropping to my knees.

_You're back! _I managed through my shock.

'**Miss us?'**

_You're actually bothering to ask that question?_

'**Hey, gotta make small talk.'**

I shook my head with a soft smile before looking up at Abby and taking the hand she offered me. She pulled me into a hug, her fingers brushing the spot where my wings emerged from my back, moving through my clothes as if they weren't there.

"You are unbelievable. I've never seen anything like that before," she whispered in my ear. "Congratulations, you passed!"

I hugged her back, laughing into her red hair before looking up at Boomer who smiled at me and nodded once in appreciation. Abby took my hand and led me out of the arena, making room for the next set of competitors. She passed me over to Alex after one more hug and then disappeared from sight.

"I told you that you were ready," she laughed.

"You sneaky little –" I cut myself off, grinning from ear to ear. I refused to let L fade away just yet. "Thank you."

"Psh," she huffed, waving a hand dismissively. "No big deal, but you're welcome. Now come on, you look like you could use some fresh air."

We walked down the hall, my wings folded against my back, my golden eyes flicking around as I listened to the girls file through my memories, catching up on the months they'd missed.

"So, how did you know?" I asked when we walked outside and down the front steps.

"I had been getting hints of voices in the back of your head for a few weeks but I couldn't be sure it was the girls. Then yesterday, while you were watching the sidekick exams I could feel little triggers of life in your head, as well as thoughts that weren't yours; and I knew in that moment that the girls were almost ready to come back."

"What do you mean by ready?" I asked, my brows furrowing. The breeze caught my wings and I sighed happily. I had missed this.

Alex laughed at the expression on my face; half confused, half peaceful. "I'm sure the girls will explain, but right now there are a few people who would like to see you." She smiled and pulled me into another hug. "I'm glad you're back to normal, Jamie. I knew it would all work out in the end."

"Thank you for watching out for me," I whispered, squeezing her gently. "Thank you."

She leaned back and winked at me before turning to make her way inside again. Just as she disappeared through the doors Warren burst through with Will and the others right behind him. He met my eyes and smiled so bright I worried it might hurt his cheeks.

'_I'm just gonna slip away for a moment,' _L chuckled. _'Nothing worse than squished wings.'_

L's appearance faded away just as Warren reached me and I gasped in surprise when his bare skin touched mine. Gone was the pleasantly warm skin I had grown used to the last few months. Instead it was back to the burning hot temperature I loved. He shuddered against me, obviously feeling the change in temperature of my own skin. It was back to being several degrees cooler than the average human. Things were back to how they should be.

"They're back?" he asked, setting me down on the ground, his hands on my hips.

"They're back," I confirmed with a bright smile.

He let out a heavy breath before he swooped down and kissed me firmly, holding me tight to his body.

'**And hello to you, too, lover boy!'**

I laughed against his lips and he smiled, pulling away. "You haven't laughed like that in a long time." I raised an eyebrow at him and he explained further, "You sound comfortable, relieved. Everything is back in place and as it should be. You're you in your purest form again."

He cupped my cheek in his burning hand and I exhaled slowly, leaning into his palm. When he dropped his hand from my skin I looked over his shoulder at my brother and our friends. Will was smiling brightly and I wasted no time in racing over to him and leaping into his arms. He squeezed me tight, no longer afraid to use his strength. My durability was back.

"Hey girls," he laughed into my ear.

'**Finally, a greeting!'**

'_Oh, shut your pie hole, D. We've been back all of fifteen minutes and you're already complaining? Sheesh.'_

'**Don't think I won't find a way to slap you, sparky. I just spent three months alone with you, don't push my buttons.'**

'_Oh, I'm terrified!'_

'**You should be,' **D shot back, but I could hear the smile in her voice. I had missed their banter.

"See?" Will began when he set me back down on my feet. "Everything worked out in the end." He put his hands on my shoulders. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks," I replied, leaning in to hug him again.

After all the congratulatory hugs were exchanged we finally got around to the questions I knew everyone was dying to ask.

"So, what's going on, they're back for good?" Layla asked as we sat down under my favourite tree.

'**Yeah, you're stuck with us now.'**

I nodded excitedly, leaning back against Warren's chest.

"Why did they leave in the first place?" Zach asked.

I shrugged. "I'm not sure, I haven't really had the chance to speak to them. I'm sure it's quite a long story."

'_Not really, there are just lots of details.'_

Realizing I wouldn't be able to answer any more questions right now, the conversation switched to the exam. I was silent, my head against Warren's chest while the girls continued to rifle through my thoughts.

'**You learnt how to ride Warren's bike?'**

'_Okay, I'm sorry, but that sounds so dirty.'_

I snorted and Warren smiled down at me. _Yeah, I learnt how to ride it. As you can see through my memories, I have skills._

'**And you agreed to sleep together?'**

_Yeah, but not until we're both ready._

'_Holy crap!' _L cried, coming across a rather unpleasant memory. _'You got attacked?'_

_Yeah, that wasn't fun._

'**I'm sorry we weren't there to help.'**

_No, it's okay. I learnt a few things while you were gone. Kind of like it was meant to happen._

'_It was.'_

_What do you mean?_

'**And this is where we get into the details…'**

I chuckled. _We've got plenty of time._

'_You seem… different.'_

_I feel different. I feel… stronger. _

'**Yet another detail.'**

_That's not it, though. In being human for three months, I learned how to live, how to enjoy each day and not let anything hold me back. _

The girls fell silent, but I could feel their happiness at my realization. They were proud of me.

'**Oh! Happy belated birthday, Jamie.'**

_Thanks._

'_Looks like you had a good day. Mmm, chocolate.'_

_Shut up._

We stayed outside, talking and laughing, until the exam was over and the juniors came flooding through the front doors. Principal Powers managed to find us in the sea of students as they all flocked towards the buses. I beamed at her when she reached me.

"Congratulations, Jamie," she said, putting her hands on my shoulders. "I'm happy to see that you have your powers back."

"Thanks," I replied. "Do my parents know?"

She nodded. "I called them after you left, they were ecstatic. You should probably head home and tell them more about it," she laughed, knowing how overjoyed my parents would be.

"Thank you," I said again and she smiled before gesturing for me to head to the buses.

"Ready to go?" Will asked when we reached the big yellow bus.

"Actually, I think I might fly home," I replied, grinning widely. "It's been a while."

He laughed and ruffled my hair before getting on the bus. Warren stepped forward and wrapped me in his arms, smiling into my hair.

"Have fun, baby," he said before leaning back to kiss me softly. My knees felt weak at the contrast in temperature of our lips. I exhaled softly when we pulled away, my heart racing. "Go on," he urged, kissing my forehead before giving me a gentle shove towards the edge of the school. I winked at him before he made his way onto the bus.

I could feel the eyes of the students on the bus against my back as I walked away. I ran my hands through my hair before coming to a stop and letting my appearance change. I couldn't help but sigh in satisfaction when my wings emerged from my back and spread wide, ready to catch the wind.

L's excitement made my body shudder in small waves and I laughed; it really did feel different, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Wish a soft shake of my head I turned to the edge of the school before breaking into a sprint and leaping off the edge. I caught the wind and soared upwards, slicing through the thin, fluffy clouds, enjoying the feel of the wind against my cheeks.

_God, I've missed this, _I thought to myself as we sailed further away from the school. I felt totally and completely weightless, my wings beating a steady rhythm against my back. I'd almost forgotten how huge my wing-span was.

'_No kidding,' _L answered peacefully. _'So, ready for the details?'_

_Bring it on._

I heard D heave a sigh before she spoke, **'Well, you know that we left, obviously, but what we didn't explain was why.'**

_Can I ask why you skipped over that detail?_

'_Well, we weren't sure how long it would take, and if we did tell you then you would have stewed over it for weeks and weeks.'_

I smiled into the open air. _I'll give you that. Apparently I've developed a habit of over thinking._

'**Anyway, we left because we had to. It's hard to explain… It's like… we reached another level and it was time for an upgrade.'**

'_We basically went into hibernation for three months while our powers regenerated. They grew stronger and we had to retreat from your conscious thoughts so that we didn't disturb the process. It was vital that there were no interruptions.'_

'**But we were always there, just buried deep in your subconscious. We were so far gone that it felt as though we weren't a part of you anymore, right?'**

_That's right, _I replied, relieved to finally be getting some answers. _It scared the crap out of me. Is that why things feel so different, though?_

'**What do you mean?'**

_Well, when I used my powers during the exam, everything was so much stronger. And brighter, I almost blinded myself. You even sound different… I didn't realize that earlier. You sound… mature, wiser._

'_It's all part of the process. The strength we have has been increased ten fold. It's exhilarating.'_

I took a few minutes to let all this new information sink in. The girls were silent as I swooped through the clouds, swaying gently as the breeze wrapped around me. We weren't too far from home; we'd have to make the dive soon.

_So, are my powers different now?_

'**No, it's all the same. Just as you remember, but stronger. So much stronger.'**

'_It's kind of like… our old versions were your training wheels. We left when you were ready for us to make the transition. It was always up to you. Your body told us when you were ready, and we left.'_

'**If we had left any earlier, your body wouldn't have been able to cope. You would have gone into shock and withdrawn from the world. But, because you were ready you were able to move on and learn a few life lessons along the way. All this happened because you were ready for it to happen. We didn't choose to leave, your body told us to. It had to be done; it's just a part of who we are as a whole. The three of us create one single entity. It's impossible for us to completely leave your body, we're simply two other parts of you.'**

'_Will was right, you know.'_

_About what?_

'_When he said that we hadn't left because the flecks were still there in your eyes. He was right, we were still there.'_

'**See? He's not a complete bone-head.' **

_But, you couldn't hear anything that happened over the three months?_

'_Nope. We were completely unaware. That's why we looked through your memories, to catch up on what we missed.'_

_Wow. I can't believe all this went on in my head without me realizing it._

'**Cool, huh?'**

I smiled and folded my wings against my sides, diving down towards the suburban streets. _I missed you, girls._

'_We missed you, too, Jamie.'_

'**And thank goodness you didn't follow through with touching that freaky little crystal in Mad Science. I shudder to think of what could have happened.'**

_Sorry about that, _I thought, my cheeks flushing. _So, you're back for good?_

'_Yep, for good.'_

'**We're not going anywhere ever again.'**

I sighed happily at that, spreading my wings again when I reached our front yard. My landing was smooth and easy.

'_Good to know I haven't lost my touch.' _

I laughed as she retreated back into my head, her physical attributes disappearing. Laughter reached my ears and I turned towards it, seeing Will, Warren and the others crossing the road. I waved at them and held my hand out for Warren to take when he reached me. I couldn't help the shudder that rolled down my spine when our skin touched.

Mum jogged down the stairs when we walked inside, her eyes locking onto my face when she came into view. She raced forward and wrapped her arms around me, chuckling when she felt the temperature of my skin. "It's good to have you back, girls."

'**Thank you!'**

I giggled to myself and mum smiled at me when she pulled away, her eyes widening slightly when she met my gaze.

"What?" I asked, confused by the expression on her face.

She shook her head and turned my body towards the mirror hanging on the wall. I jumped at my reflection; my eyes were not blue, instead one was gold and the other was black. I could hear the girls laughing inside my head.

_Not funny, you two._

I shook my head with a smile, watching as the colour changed back to normal. I met my mothers' eyes again when I knew she'd be looking into sky blue.

Dad quickly joined us, wrapping me in his arms and squeezing me firmly, enjoying the fact that he didn't have to worry about his strength, just as Will had. Thankfully, they gave me enough time to get a drink before we moved to the lounge room so that I could explain everything to them.

Michelle joined us about ten seconds after I started talking. I paused to give her a hug before settling in to answer the onslaught of questions I knew were coming now that I knew everything.

It took at least an hour, but eventually all questions had been answered and everyone was up to speed. Mum asked everyone to stay for dinner so that we could celebrate. Will grinned when I agreed to verse him in Guitar Hero while dad went and fired up the barbeque.

Our friends didn't end up heading home until late that night, and even once they left Will and I were still so hyped up that we began to wrestle in the backyard. Mum and Michelle went inside for a coffee while dad and Warren spoke mechanics. I let D have her fun for a while, play fighting with my brother while he used his strength to pin us to the ground. She wriggled out of his grasp and the fight continued. It was good to relax like this again.

When we settled down for the night, I made my way over to Warren, sighing when he wrapped his arms around me. We shared a smile before our lips met in a gentle kiss.

This is how things were meant to be.

* * *

**BWA: Surprise! They're back!  
Jamie: Wooo! -Flails-  
BWA: Talk about leaving it to the last minute. Thank goodness they came back before the friggin' story finished! And Jamie passed her exam!  
Jamie: Yay me!  
Emmett: Now what?  
BWA: Um.. now we have the Epilogue left?  
Will: Aww.. -sniffles-  
BWA: No! You're not allowed to be mopey yet! Besides, there's still another story left in this freaky little series.  
Warren: Really?  
BWA: Yessum.  
-Silence-  
BWA: Wow. You guys really know how to kill the moment.  
Emmett: It's not our fault your mind went blank. Again.  
BWA: -Glares- Don't make me whack you.  
Emmett: Oooh, I'm so scared.  
BWA: -Reaches for baseball bat-  
Emmett: -Grabs it before BWA-  
BWA: -Grumbles and walks into the kitchen-  
Warren: What's she doing?  
Emmett: Who kn- OH MY GOD!  
BWA: -Runs back in waving a frying pan around- CHAAAAAAAAAAARGE! -Chases Emmett around the house-  
Jamie: -Laughs- What now?  
Warren: I guess we sign off for her?  
Will: Reviews are love!  
Jamie: And we love you!  
Warren: So leave us some love?  
Will: And don't forget to check the blog on Teaser Tuesday!  
Jamie: And while you're at it, why not go and say hi to Elise on Twitter?  
Emmett: -Runs around outside- Leave me alone you crazy woman!  
BWA: -Swings frying pan-  
-BANG-  
Emmett: Ow! What the?  
BWA: Dude! -Starts laughing- You broke my frying pan. **


	12. Epilogue

**BWA: Well, a little late on the update front, but nevertheless, here we are for the Epilogue. Can you believe it's over already?  
Will: -Reaches for box of tissues-  
BWA: -Whines- No! No crying. Why does everyone always cry at the end of my stories?  
Will: -Chin wobbles- Because it's the end..  
Emmett: You're such a pansy.  
Warren: -Laughs-  
BWA: Um, I'm sorry this was late, but I had a few things I needed to brainstorm on before I posted this.  
Jamie: -Snorts- Yeah, she didn't have a name for the next story and so she wouldn't post until she did.  
BWA: -Blushes- Shut up.  
Jamie: -Grins-  
BWA: Alrighty, time to wrap this up!**

**Disclaimer: I own Jamie, Michelle and another completed story. Yay me! **

* * *

_**Chapter Twelve  
**__**Epilogue**_

To my shock, it had actually taken me a few days to get used to having the girls back. I had grown so accustomed to hearing nothing but my own thoughts inside my head, yet the morning after they returned, I woke to the sound of the girls bickering playfully at each other. It had taken a few moments before the events from the previous twenty four hours had washed over me.

The girls watched on in silence that first day, seeing how I interacted with people and how I had changed over the last three months. I could hear them comparing the Jamie from three months ago to the Jamie that I was now. I was stronger, more mature, and more independent but thankfully still me.

At the end of their second day back in my conscious thoughts, I had been in the middle of changing for bed when I noticed something on my left hip that I had completely overlooked the day before. Warren, who had been lying on my bed, quickly walked over to me when he saw the shock on my face.

There, on my skin, was a tattoo of yin and yang. I stood in front of the nearest mirror and ran my fingers over the mark on my flesh.

_Do you two know anything about this? _I had managed to ask.

'**Yeah. It's an emblem of sorts… like we told you, our older versions were like your training wheels. Now that you're ready for us in our strongest form, you have a mark to prove it.'**

_So, it's kind of like your seal of approval?_

'_Kind of,' _L giggled.

When we got the results from our theory exams, I was pleased to find that I got good marks in all of them. Warren laughed when I proudly told him that my cramming sessions paid off, even if I ended up with headaches.

I still loved riding the Ducati with Warren; we went back to the old trails and Warren tore down them while I flew above him, weaving through the trees. I had enough power in my wings that I was easily able to keep up with him.

If anything, my situation over the last three months brought me closer to my brother. I experienced firsthand what it had been like for him when he was around heroes without any powers himself. We were able to see eye to eye on a lot of topics nowadays and generally just bonded better than normal, which is quite impressive because we were close to begin with. He helped me through it all and he knew I was thankful.

Michelle was elated to see the change in my attitude; she and mum would smile lovingly at me whenever I laughed at a joke the girls cracked.

Despite everything I had gone through, I wouldn't change one moment of it. Because everything that happened played a part in shaping me into the person I was now. I had learned something from each thing I had experienced. I was appreciative towards all of it, much to my surprise.

Will and I had spent a few hours out on the roof one night, talking about anything and everything. It was nice spending time with my brother like this, I really enjoyed it.

"So, we're seniors next year," he began, bumping his shoulder against mine. "Can you believe it?"

"Not at all," I laughed. "Where have the last three years gone? It feels like just yesterday that we were starting freshman year."

"Do you think we're ready for the real world?" he asked after a few moments of silence.

I pursed my lips in thought. "Not yet, but we will be."

Warren still crept in through my window each night and each time we'd get carried away the moment our lips locked.

I had a feeling that Warren had developed a slight obsession with my tattoo. Whenever he kissed his way down my stomach he would run his tongue around the shape of the emblem on my hip. I wasn't sure what he enjoyed more, kissing the tattoo or the sounds I made.

"Get up here, would you?" I groaned, tugging at his shoulders as his teeth grazed over the mark on my skin. "You're killing me."

He chuckled but moved back up my body, capturing my lips with his as my body moved to the beat of the music coming from my stereo speakers. I giggled against his lips when I felt his fingers tap the drum beat against my sides. Our lips parted and tongues soon met, our laughter giving way to soft breaths and quiet moans.

"I love you," I whispered when we calmed down enough to wriggle under the covers and wrap our bodies together. My leg was slung over his hips, my other leg resting along the length of his while his arms were wrapped tight around me.

"I love you," he echoed, pressing a soft kiss to the top of my head. I sighed happily and cuddled closer to him, tucking my head into the crook of his neck.

Music continued to play softly in the background and when Warren began to sing along quietly in my ear I closed my eyes and listened, more in love with him now than ever.

"_We're gonna stop stop stop the world from moving  
__Stop stop stop the clocks from turning  
__Stop this night from fading away  
_

_This time is ours  
__If I could hold this moment in my hands  
__I'd stop the world from moving  
__I'd stop the clocks from turning_

_This time is ours  
__Inside a frozen memory of us  
__And we are motionless, motionless_

_This time is ours"_

_The End_

_

* * *

_**  
BWA: And there you go. That's the end of Ignorance.  
Will: What song is that?  
BWA: Oh, it's "Ours" by The Bravery. The Ignorance playlist is up on my blog if anyone wants to check out the music used.  
Jamie: Woo hoo!  
Warren: So, you gonna get mushy?  
Emmett: Might as well.  
BWA: -Grins- Okay, here we go. -Takes a deep breath- As always, a huge thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed and followed us on this crazy little journey. We still have a bit more to tell, but we're getting there. Your love, support and endless funniness makes all this worth it. I've made some terrific friends and can't wait to make more.  
Emmett: Aww.  
BWA: -Whacks the back of Emmett's head-  
Emmett: -Laughs-  
BWA: Now, the fourth, and last story in this series has finally had its title decided upon. It's called "All I Wanted" and will hopefully be up soon. I have a few other stories I need to get written before I can start on that, so bear with me lovelies. It will all be worth it.  
Will: Is that everything?  
BWA: I'm pretty sure, yeah.  
Warren: Time to sign off?  
BWA: I guess so. -Smiles- So, for the last time for Ignorance..  
Jamie: Reviews are love!  
Will: And we love you!  
Emmett: So leave us some love?  
Warren: And make sure you check the blog for info on "All I Wanted"  
BWA: And while you're at it, why not come and say hi to me on Twitter?  
Will: -Sniffles-  
Jamie: Aw, you friggin' bone-head. -Cuddles-  
BWA: -Giggles- Until next time, lovelies! -Waves- **


End file.
